By Caroline King
Staff Writer
Student Government held its third meeting of the year on Sept. 18 in the Education Building Room 115, its first since the Student Government elections took place.
The meeting started with the approval of minutes and open floor agenda items, including the fact that newly elected members, who will not be sworn in until the fourth meeting, would still be allowed to vote.
While no new bills were introduced at the meeting, several bills that had been introduced the week prior were voted on.
The first bill was B-F2019-01, which would allow for the creation of a judiciary board and recall proceedings for SG members. This would entail the ability to impeach or recall, and therefore remove, members of SG holding elected positions.
The bill would be to make sure members of the general body were held accountable.
The bill did not pass, as it received less than the three-fourths vote it would need to amend SG’s constitution. Unless the same bill undergoes significant changes, it is not allowed to be brought to the floor again.
In conjunction with the previous bill, B-F2019-02 was introduced to the floor for a vote. As stated within the bill, the judiciary board will be responsible for bringing forth charges of impeachment so that when the case is presented to the general body, it is for a vote for recall or removal of office.
As newly elected members exercised their right to abstain from voting, if they did not feel that they had enough information, this, along with “No” votes, led to the bill not passing.
Another bill, B-F2019-03, deals with clarifying the legislation process, and would build off of a procedure SG already has—that commendations must go through the General Assembly. Commendations are described as being resolutions, but pertaining to a specific person on campus.
These initiatives would then be sent to the vice president for Student Services, who will meet with the relevant sponsors to offer structural and formatting suggestions. An initiative needs a simple majority vote to be passed in the general body.
Ultimately, the bill became the first to pass during the meeting with a simple majority vote.
The next bill, B-F2019-04, builds on the structures and necessities involved in initiative proceedings mentioned within the previous bill, B-F2019-03. It became the second to pass during the meeting.
The final bill introduced for a vote, B-F2019-05, deals with Title IX training for faculty advisors of unrecognized organizations on campus.
This would be a preliminary action done on the part of the faculty advisor, in order for the organization to present itself to the Governmental Affairs Committee and subsequently receive approval to be a recognized organization on campus.
The bill passed, leading to the completion of Old Business, or bills brought forth the week prior to be voted on in this meeting.
The meeting continued with elected SG members’ various Cabinet Reports, which included a vote on the design for Homecoming shirts.
The swearing-in of new elected members will take place at the next SG meeting today.
