Undergraduate Student Government considers constitutional amendments

By Jessica Wettig

 

The University’s Undergraduate Student Government will soon decide on several constitutional amendments.

Internal Affairs committee chair Dominique Woodhouse announced her committee is expanding Judicial Branch duties in the Constitution. The addition will allow Registered Student Organizations the right to appeal situations such as guideline violation. USG also furthered an amendment that would change the group’s finance committee and approved three RSOs.

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Woodhouse said the option to appeal accusations is one RSOs did not have before.

“If (RSOs) violate rules, just like any other appeals process, they can take it to the judiciary branch,” she said. “The sanction (will either be) passed if it’s going to be put upon them, or it can be taken off.”

Woodhouse said this is the only recent major change to the constitution’s judicial branch. This change was voted on in other previous meetings and is still progressing.

Beyond judicial matters, senators continued to review a document that would transition the Finance Committee into a department of treasury. The Finance Committee declared an upcoming election several weeks ago for finance chairs. Senators Kenny Newsome and Adrian Miller were candidates for the position, but Newsome has since left and Miller was temporarily chair. Senator Oliver Keys acted as both Executive Affairs Committee chair and finance chair Tuesday night, and Miller said there will not be an official finance chair until next semester.

Miller proposed a 19-page document to the senate several weeks ago that would begin the finance commission transition, but senator Cameron Shulak presented a two-page amendment to the constitution based on the document.

Shulak said the amendment is much shorter than the original document because most of it had nothing to do with the amendment. Much of Miller’s document concerns guidelines, such as funding organization and members’ full-time student requirements, and the amendment will simply put the treasury in place, Miller said.

“Where it gets complicated is the guidelines,” Miller said, “This is the simple stuff.”

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Miller previously proposed forming a committee to make decisions regarding the final documents that would establish the treasury. Keys nominated senator Christopher Wheetley, who had openly expressed his concerns about the document to the committee. She also nominated Shulak, and Miller nominated senator Brandon Willingham.

These three candidates were approved unanimously, and Miller announced the committee will meet Sunday to discuss further treasury decisions.

USG also approved three new RSOs during Tuesday’s meeting.

The SIU Medieval Combat Club is centered around a sport that involves medieval-designed weaponry. These padded weapons are used for combat and martial arts, according to an RSO presentation.

Youth in Care on Campus is an organization designed to help students who were raised in foster care to transition into the college setting, according to information presented by the RSO. This is designed to support both current and former students formerly in foster care.

Natural Girl is an organization devoted to women who are dedicated to keeping their natural hair. These members will not use any chemicals at all in their hair, according to a presentation from the RSO.

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