Members of the Associated Student Government(ASG) are proposing a revision of the current ASG constitution.
As reported previously, ASG Senator Christopher Conyers and Phi Theta Kappa President Christopher Ginn presented the plans to revise the constitution on March 12, and on March 19 the bill was approved by San Diego City College’s student government by a vote of 4-2.
The bill, known as the CG Bill, was to then go before the City College Board of Directors to determine whether or not it would appear on the student ballot during ASG elections beginning April 14.
Conyers and Ginn previously told City Times that the proposed revision was spurred by “a lack of participation” from campus club representatives, causing ASG to sometimes find themselves unable to get a quorum together to vote, thus halting ASG progress.
Conyers, who is currently running for ASG Vice President, states a desire to re-establish the constitution so that it “emulates the national Constitution,” thus creating a system of checks and balances.
Conyers and Ginn, together with current ASG Vice President Josef Shannon, proposed the multiple changes, beginning with the change from Executive Branch being referred to as the Executive Council, which will consist of ASG President, Vice President and Secretary.
The proposed changes would mean that the ASG Secretary would head the following departments: Treasury, Public Relations, Services and Scholarships, Webmaster, Health, Safety and Environment and Internal Department.
The Executive Council would have final approval of all contracts between ASG and other persons under the financial code, and will also be held to a strict mandate of no less than 10 hours of office work per week and no more than two unexcused consecutive session absences.
The Executive Council would lose its voting rights, which then would go to a newly formed Congressional Branch.
However, the ASG President would be given pass-or-veto power over items passed by a two-third vote by Congress.
ASG Congress would consist of the Inter-Club Council (ICC) and Senate Council, with the ASG Vice President serving as senate president, and the ICC continuing to be headed by its president, who must be elected by a majority vote by ICC members consisting of one representative from each sanctioned campus club.
Operating much like the U.S. Congress, the Senate Council and the ICC, which would be established as the House of Representatives, would be monitored by a Sergeant, a created position to oversee sessions of congress.
The Sergeant would be selected from the members of the Judicial Branch.
The Judicial Branch, according to the CG Bill, would consist of an odd number of judges, not to exceed the number of senators. There would be an elected Chief Justice.
Three out of five judges would be appointed by the ASG President and confirmed by a two-thirds senate vote. One judge would be appointed by the Faculty Academic Senate and one by the Dean of Students.
Also, as noted in the bill, the Judicial Branch would be “given the power to override any veto by the President.”
Lastly, a census consisting of a group of Associated Students would be created to provide the senate with feedback, ideas and bill proposals that would assist the student body.
The census would be optional and the responsibility of the senate.
