When it comes to constitutions, the more they are thought about and discussed, the better they turn out to be.
So, the student senate was on the right track Wednesday when it decided not to vote on a new constitution less than a week after it was officially proposed.
Taking a step back and slowing down the process is without a doubt a good thing. The amendments that were proposed Wednesday alone — some as long as eight pages — would have taken more time to consider than one session could have allowed. To have debated and voted on a constitution, which would have gone up for a vote of the student body later this month, in that time frame would have been irresponsible.
The senate should be commended for picking up on this and acting accordingly.
By not voting on the bill, the senate ensured that the proposed constitution will continue to be tweaked and modified into the next year, as it should be.
Because the constitution, if passed, would go into effect in the 2015-16 school year, there are no drawbacks to taking a slower route.
Plus, the concerns raised by many of the constitution’s critics are valid, and they raise serious questions.
First, making the treasurer an appointed position that still receives a stipend is concerning, because students’ money shouldn’t be used to pay someone they did not elect. Right now, the treasurer is paid $4,560 per year, and that sum of money shouldn’t be at the personal discretion of any one SG officer.
Additionally, the new legislation’s proposition that the student body elect the speaker of the senate raises concerns, too.
We think the student senate should be left to set its own agenda and its own collective platform. By having prospective speakers campaign on their own personal platforms, the body loses some of that say, and that’s concerning.
The speaker of the senate — the person who will preside over the senate’s sessions — should be selected by the senators themselves.
While these are concerns that need to be addressed, we are confident that these issues, along with many others, will be discussed thoroughly both inside and outside of the senate.
This, if nothing else, is a conversation worth having.