Some senators wary of SGA leadership changes

As the Student Government Association awaits the university’s higher echelons’ approval of its revised constitution, senators prepare for changes in leadership positions as designated in the document.

The Student Senate last week elected a chairman and an assistant chairman, positions that will, according to the new constitution, replace the speaker and assistant speaker. Edward O’Leary, SGA’s vice president, would assume the role of Senate speaker upon approval of the revised constitution.

Some senators, however, view the change in leadership with mixed feelings.

“My one concern is a conflict of interest (in) having the vice president preside over the Senate,” said Assistant Speaker Daniel Plaugher, a senior representing the College of Humanities and Science.

Plaugher worked last spring with the Senate and the executive branch members in revising the constitution. Although, he said, he thinks this constitution is a better document, he remains concerned that the vice president could control the Senate’s decisions.

Fellow senator and recently elected chairman of the Senate, Matthew Haynes, agreed.

“The largest concern that has been presented to me is that the executive branch could say who speaks,” he said. “The executive branch already has a voice in legislative matters (through the steering committee).”

The new constitution dissolves the steering committee and replaces it with a joint committee of the legislative, judicial and executive leaders, whose role has not been defined.

“I think that one is the yet-to-be-seen,” said Tim Reed, senior adviser to the SGA and director of the University Student Commons and Activities, who added that the revised constitution doesn’t clarify who controls what and who can prioritize legislation. The perception, he said, is that that the committee prioritizing legislation won’t function now with the joint committee.

“When I read this (revised) constitution, I think there’s just as many ways to block something from getting to the Senate as there was before. In fact, there might be more.”

The flaw with the constitution, Reed said, centers around no one having the authority to tell the chairman what to put on the Senate’s agenda, because the executive branch contains speaker position.

“The chairperson of the Senate is who sets the agenda, not the vice president’s role,” he said. “It’s (chairman of senate) a very powerful position. In fact, more powerful than the old speaker (role) was. I think some of these things are things that will have to be worked out over time.”

Nonetheless, some senators see a more vocal Senate as a possibility with the revised constitution.

Sen. Sonu Kaur, recently elected the assistant chairman, said the addition of the vice president as speaker of the Senate opens the door for the senators — holding the position of chairman and assistant chairman-to have an active voice in the Senate.

“(Before) they had to worry about doing the job of chair and vice chair and making sure the meetings (run) efficiently,” she said, adding that she thinks the Senate needs guidance and leadership within its voting members and needs leaders who address everyone’s concerns.

Haynes said ironing out the issues in the constitution rates as a major concern for the leadership under the revised constitution.

“I think it’s going to take an adjustment period (to iron out issues),” he said.

Reed agreed.

“No document is perfect. This one’s got a lot of good things in it, (and) it’s got a lot of thought in it,” Reed said. “My analysis is we’ll have to work through all these bugs.”

Senators and Reed concurred that the new constitution would move the SGA forward.

“I think that we’re entering a new phase in the SGA of cooperation and development,” Haynes said.

If the constitution is approved, Haynes and Kaur would be sworn in next semester.