Another twist in the student trustee controversy has developed, as two new, opposing bills have been introduced into the Illinois House, heightening an already bipolar debate about the fate of student trustee elections.

The new bills come on the heels of Gov. Jim Edgar’s amendatory veto of House Bill 923, which was designed initially to give the state’s student trustees binding votes on their respective boards while retaining popular elections for the position.

Edgar vetoed the bill, citing the need for a screening committee to replace elections as the selection mechanism. Edgar also added three additional changes:Trustees must be full-time students; they cannot vote on faculty tenure and promotion issues; and a sunset clause will be injected into the bill, setting an expiration date for the legislation.

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Edgar’s elimination of student trustee elections has caused a furor among student leaders around the state, who initiated an aggressive lobbying effort Oct. 9 in hopes of retaining the elections.

Because of their efforts, Rep. Rick Winkel, R-Champaign, sponsor of the original bill, has introduced new legislation that preserves popular campus elections for student trustees while keeping Edgar’s other changes intact.

Also spurring Winkel’s decision to file the bill was House Parliamentarian Michael Kasper’s advice to draft new legislation because Edgar’s amendatory veto might be unconstitutional.

The Illinois constitution states that an amendatory veto cannot change significantly the intent of a bill. Kasper is reviewing the bill to see if indeed Edgar exceeded his constitutional powers by striking the line involving student trustee elections.

You can change certain parts of a bill, Mike Waldinger, press secretary for Winkel, said. But, you can’t change the intent. That’s overstepping the bounds of your authority, and the governor could have done that.

SIUC Student Trustee Pat Kelly is ecstatic about the legislation filed by Winkel and will continue to fight for the retainment of elections.

Winkel’s our guy, Kelly said. This (new bill) is the best possible solution imaginable.

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This is how I’d have written the bill if I were doing it.

Kelly, in coordination with his statewide counterparts and other student leaders around the state, will continue to pressure legislators into supporting Winkel’s bill.

Kelly also said a new strategy has developed in garnering support for the bill, that of involving community colleges.

At community colleges, all trustees including student trustees, are appointed by an independent board. Kelly said student trustees at these schools have a big stake in the new legislation and will be targeted by Kelly and his cohorts in an attempt to get them mobilized.

We’re going to hit them hard, Kelly said. They’re starting to get on board with us.

Though student leaders like Kelly have scored an impressive victory this week, opposition still looms in Springfield.

Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Gillespie, introduced legislation last week mirroring Edgar’s changes to 923. The bill offers student trustees a binding vote on their respective boards while abolishing popular elections in favor of a screening committee composed of three students and three University-selected officials. The committee would forward two names to the governor, who would make the final decision. The bill also keeps Edgar’s other changes.

Waldinger said Hannig’s bill, though it abolishes elections, will heighten the quality of the student trustee debate.

There aren’t any shades of gray staked out here, Waldinger said. The debate has become crystallized because you have two different sides to choose from.

Consequently, it will make for a better debate.

Kelly opposes the bill and will lobby against it through the veto session.

Any bill that takes away democratic student representation is garbage and un-American, he said.

Tom Livingston, Edgar’s chief higher education adviser, said the governor has not endorsed a bill yet, but still supports the changes to 923. Livingston said he will meet with Winkel and Hannig this week to discuss the content of the opposing bills and confer with Edgar to examine the situation.

We’re going to let nature take its course for a while and see how these bills do in the House, Livingston said. A lot can happen in the debate between now and then.

The governor still believes that he made the right decision in amending the bill. He’s fully supportive of having a binding vote, but he still thinks that safeguards (a screening committee) are needed.

Livingston said his office will not lobby on behalf of Hannig’s bill even though it is more reflective of the amendatory veto.

Waldinger said the major obstacle facing Winkel’s bill is its Democratic sponsorship.

(Hannig) is a member of the majority party so that might affect the bill somewhat, he said. But, that might not mean as much because it’s such a slim majority.

The veto session reconvenes Tuesday and goes to Oct. 30, then begins again Nov. 12 and goes to Nov. 14. Waldinger, during this time, expects debate on the two bills and ultimately, a vote.

Kelly said he is confident Winkel will prevail.