Monday, Oct. 21 the Student Government Association meeting focused on an amendment of the chapter 702 in the SGA Code of Laws.
Chapter 702.1 requires there be a permanent board in the Executive Branch of the SGA known as the Election Board, which is comprised of the president of the SGA, Harrison Mills, the executive director of elections and five members of the student body at large chosen by the appointing committee.
The amendment to Chapter 702, proposed by Jacob Dean, senior in political science and pro tempore, relieved Mills of his duties as a member of the SGA Elections Board and would allow the executive director of elections to vote only in cases of a tie, leaving a total of five members on the panel.
"Were telling people that they have to sit on E-board and are not giving them an opportunity to do what they want or a way out" Dean said. "Its compulsory and I think it's one of the things in the code that could stand to be changed."
The amendment, which would allow the SGA president to utilize his time elsewhere, was brought about by a question of whether or not the president being on the board presents a bias to the Auburn students.
" I think a bias is a part of human nature," said Walter Whatley, senior in accounting and member of the executive committee representing the Code of Laws. "Every member on that board is bias in that nature."
Whatley continued on to compare the SGA to other organizations and governments within our society.
"There has to be a reason why there are ex officio members on nearly every kind of board," Whatley said. "It's because they guarantee wealth of knowledge and we need that on our board.
The motion to pass the amendment was carried by a 31 to 2 vote in favor of the Amendment, which now no longer requires that Mills be a part of the election board of the SGA.
"The fact that an elected member is on the board makes it that much more legitimate so taking away the only elected member by the Student Body off of the board it just wrong," Whatley said.
In other news, Brittany Thompson, a junior Nursing major, was appointed as the 2013-2014 Nursing Council Vice President. Thompson will be the first Nursing Council Vice President as the position has never been filled. The motion to appoint Thompson passed the Senate with a unanimous vote, allowing Thompson to fill the position immediately.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
