The Student Government Association voted on a constitutional amendment allowing them more disciplinary options within the organization.
The amendment, constructed by Matt Owen, political science sophomore, would provide the group with more options to discipline SGA members who are not performing according to standards of good conduct in the organization.
Currently, the only action the SGA can take toward a student member who is not performing their duties is to impeach that student.
“That is a long six-to-eight week process, and it is not useful and not productive,” Owen said.
The amendment allows for suspensions or removal of their position.
If a member were suspended, they would still be a member of the SGA, but they would be unable to hold the floor in a debate during meetings. They would also lose their key to the SGA office and couldn’t collect pay.
To suspend a member, any other member must have clear reasons for the suspension, and this must be approved by a two-thirds majority.
Because there was concern this amendment would take too much power from the judicial branch — and the suspension could be invalid but still get voted on if the person was unpopular — a modification was made.
This modification added an appeals process. A student who was suspended could appeal to the judicial branch.
Owen said this amendment would not change the current impeachment process. Instead, it would offer other ways to side-step that process.
“The purpose of this bill is to give us some options,” Owen said. “The only thing we could do this semester is impeach someone, which is a lengthy process.”
The amendment was placed in emergency status and approved to be placed on the voting ballot for this spring’s elections.
The SGA also approved a bill allotting $250 for food and an extra $50 for advertisement for a town hall meeting to be held on March 31 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Hoosier Room East. The purpose of the meeting would be for students to come and tell the new president about concerns or initiatives they have for the upcoming year.
A bill allotting $75 toward SGA co-sponsorship a day of service was also passed. The bill allows the SGA to work in partnership with the
LEGACY Leadership Program to spend a day cleaning up the Sam Peden Community Park on Grant Line Road.
The bill was proposed by tech officer Reuben Dodge, computer science sophomore.
“This money will cover expenses incurred in needing to purchase gloves, paper sacks, chips, some plastic sandwich bags and, if possible, packets of mayonnaise and mustard,” Dodge said, explaining his bill to the senate.
An election-funding bill crafted by senator James Bonsall, business senior, was approved to allot up to $500 to promote the 2011 elections to the student body.
Another bill will spend $900 on water bottles with the SGA logo on them to be handed out to students graduating at commencement in May.
A bill to amend the attendance policy of senators was not approved, and a directive to charge the 2011 Election Commission with finding the best way to conduct the election also failed.
By MICHELE HOP
Staff
mhop@ius.edu