The Undergraduate Student Congress updated the attendance act, amended the expulsion bylaws and updated the secretary's role in the bylaws at its Tuesday meeting.
Updating the Attendance at Appointment Act
The news: Undergraduate Student Congress updated the Code Annotated to require attendance from SGA appointees across all branches.
Currently, the subjects of the advice and consent legislation pertaining to the superior court, general counsel, election commissioner and election commission and the parking appeals board must be present at the Undergraduate Student Congress and Graduate Student Senate meetings in which the legislation is being considered.
The amendment will require the executive cabinet and the Crimson Leadership Association members to be present.
The amendment introduces exceptions, which can now be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the chair of the branch where the absence excuse is being considered.
What they’re saying: Grace Thune, associate and an author of the bill, said the amendment was added for the sake of both chambers.
“We added this just because we thought both houses would like to see the new appointees in person, just in case they have any questions,” Thune said.
The vote: Congress passed the resolution with a vote of 28-1-0. Rep. Keeley Dailey voted against the amendment.
Expulsion Bylaw Update
The news: The Undergraduate Student Congress amended the congress bylaws to require members to notify their committee secretary 24 hours prior to the meeting.
Currently, for an absence to be counted as unexcused, it is up to the discretion of the congress secretary.
Members of congress cannot accrue more than four unexcused absences non-consecutively and three absences consecutively before they are subject to expulsion. Absences for every member are set to zero at the start of each session.
Two consecutive unexcused absences from committee meetings require the member to now meet with the committee chair privately.
What they’re saying: Michael Wintory, congress secretary, discussed the 24-hour requirement and reassured members about exceptions to the amendment.
“This 24-hour requirement, there will be exceptions,” Wintory said. “People wake up sick, whatever, this is just to make sure people will have to think about the meeting beforehand.”
Sydney Wyand, associate and an author of the bill, brought up a circumstance in which she was stuck in traffic for six hours and said some scenarios cannot be controlled.
“There is another point that says with extenuating circumstances that the committee chair has the right to view (the excuse) as an excused absence,” Wyand said. “If you’re planning ahead enough to try to make it and something happens if you get sick or you get stuck in traffic or a car accident then obviously we are all people and our community here will be reasonable.”
The vote: Congress passed the resolution with a vote of 28-1-0. Baylor Savage, campus outreach, safety and concerns committee chair voted against the amendment.
Congress Secretary Role Altercation Act
The news: Congress amended the congress bylaws to remove the congress secretary as the secretary of the Congressional Administration Committee and clarify roles within the executive committee.
The secretary will no longer be a voting member of the Congressional Admission Committee.
Additionally, the congress vice chair will now serve as the vice chair of the executive committee and the congress secretary as the secretary of the executive committee.
What they’re saying: Coleman Morgan, Congressional Administration Committee chair said he altered the act in order to relieve the current congress secretary and to open up a position for a future congressional administration secretary.
The change will begin next session and current secretary Wintory will remain as the congressional administration secretary for the rest of the current session.
“I can't think of a real reason why it's necessary for the congress secretary to be the secretary of (congressional) administration,” Morgan said. “I think with this change it would not only open up a role for a member inside of congress administration to be a secretary, but it would also take some of the weight off of our current congress secretary’s plate.”
Morgan said this position is nothing new, more of an opportunity for future members to fill.
“I think it’s less of creating a position and more of opening it up. It is not like this is a novel position,” Morgan said. “We’re not creating anything new within any of the committees, we’re simply opening up a position within congressional administration for one of our more dedicated members to fill.”
The vote: Congress passed the resolution with a vote of 28-1-0. Vice Chair Aaron Gilson-Bond voted against the amendment.
This story was edited by Macey Thaxton.
