Since Chief Justice Talbot Miller was reinstated due to a second place finish in the presidential election earlier this year, he has been hard at work in conjunction with officer members to revise and finalize all of the ASSP core roles currently defined in the Constitution.
The senate on Monday May 13th largely focused on how the ASSP officers revised their by-laws in our ASSP constitution.
The by-laws iterate the rules and guidelines set by ASSP that include the allowances and responsibilities of the specific ASSP core officer roles: the President, Executive vice president (EVP), Vice president of campus activities (VPCA), Vice president of finance (VPF), Vice president of intercultural affairs (VPIA), and Vice president of ministries (VPM).
The by-laws are not changed every year by the people in their positions, but sometimes the current member feels the need to add, change, or subtract certain words or responsibilities pertaining to that position.
VPM Maddy Fulcher submitted changes already earlier in the school year, while VPCA Celeste Ajayi and EVP Kaitlyn Payton had the shortest question and debate periods of the night regarding their changes to their future positions.
Vice President of Finance Sarah Kirschner had one of the most talked about topics of the evening with the new Budget Accountability Guidelines section.
The new, clearly outlined guidelines give media groups and organizations that are still under ASSP’s range direction, specifically regarding what happens if they do not follow the rules set in place for them at the beginning of the school year.
President Nathan Samayo introduced the other popular topic of the night.
He tried to permanently disband the Presidential Action Cabinet in the Constitution, which would eliminate the group for all presidents in the future as well.
Samayo discussed his feelings that there is a lack of credibility with P.A.C. in administration’s eyes, and how cabinet members seemed more excited about the committee than the initiatives that needed work.
“I was spearheading everything having to do with P.A.C., and was tired which is why dropped it and focused on the initiative” (referring to the Statement of Human Sexuality at the time).
However, Chief Justice Miller overruled the action prior to senate explaining, “PAC is an optional tool which the president can use at their digression, there is no requirement, it does not cost us anything, and it is not fair to future presidents… especially if a president finds it useful down the line.”
Senator Liam Smith supported Samayo’s original proposal in permanently disbanding the cabinet, but Senator Joe Cagley did not support disbanding it because he found the PAC to be supportive and helpful towards the Statement of Human Sexuality initiative.
All of the proposals introduced Monday night are not going to be voted on until the following week, as is standard procedure involving Constitutional changes.
Senate was informed and aware that nothing regarding this matter would be passed and recognized that the by-laws are subject to an academic week of consideration therefore had to be introduced on May 13th in order to be voted on May 20th.
The proposals had to be formally introduced to gain this consideration week and were officially tabled after each voting period.
A formal vote on all of the position’s constitutional changes will be held at the last senate meeting on May 20th.
In Other Business:
Four new senators were voted into office for the 2019-2020 school year, including returning senators Ben Jenkins and Cross Cable
The current ASSP core is continuing training with the newly elected core as the school year comes to a close.
The last senate of this academic school year will be held next Monday on May 20th.
