The Downtown student government Senate passed a proposal at its meeting last Friday to put the universal constitution and election code to a student referendum today.
Click here to review the proposed constitution and election code. If passed, the constitution and election code will go into effect immediately.
To vote on the constitution and election code, click here.
Voting began at midnight and will end at 4 p.m.
________________________
Opinion: Universal constitution necessary to keep student government moving forward
“The government moves too slow – where is the change?”
Change is always something that we have asked for and fought to attain. Yet, still the sentiment that the governmental process moves too slowly is carried through all levels of government.
Well, Downtown student government is moving.
As part of the legislative process this semester, I can see why reform and change are difficult, despite however virtuous intents may be. The Senate of the Downtown student government proposed a referendum to the student body during its last meeting on Dec. 2. The referendum will ask the student body if they are in favor of adopting a new constitution and elections code.
All of the ASU’s student government presidents support the Polytechnic, West and Downtown campus’ moving forward with the referendum process. The support for this process is coming from the intrinsic value held in these documents for all ASU students.
The end result will be a stronger voice for students, which is needed when talk of tuition increases and fee proposals are always looming.
But first the referendum must pass.
The goal after the referendum passes is for Senate representatives from all of the respective student governments to convene as a group to discuss the universal constitution. This group of senators will meet at the table to vet each campus’ critiques of the documents. These senators would meet before Feb. 15 and then again by Feb. 29, when the finalized universal constitution and elections code will be determined. After gaining agreement from all parties, both documents will be put to a student vote during the spring.
Amending the proposed constitution can only take place during general elections, which are this coming spring semester. If we miss this deadline, uniting all of the Undergraduate Students Governments under a Universal Constitution will be halted for a year at minimum.
The implementation of a new elections code would establish a Supreme Court where all campaign disputes will be heard. Elections on our campus in the past have been plagued with controversy and bias – none of which is conductive to furthering the campus as whole. In voting “yes,” several great victories for us as students on the Downtown campus will be achieved.
Lindsay is a senator representing the College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the Senate leader for Downtown student government. Contact him at zlinds1@asu.edu
