Bill proposes changing Senate to Parliament

A constitutional reform bill proposed by senior Michael Dickie will wait another week to be introduced to the Student Government Association.

The Dickie Constitutional Bill calls for the current SGA Constitution to be stricken entirely and replaced with a new constitution. The replacement government would be a parliamentary system headed by a prime minister instead of a student body president.

The bill was entered into the agenda last week, but Dickie was not present at the SGA meeting.

Instead of an executive treasurer, vice president of academic affairs and a vice president of student affairs, the Dickie Constitutional Bill calls for a chancellor of the exchequer, deputy prime minister and student minister.

"[This bill] is important because it starts the discussion on how we structure student government," Dickie said. "It seems that we prefer imitating the national and state governments, rather than a flat system that would be far more effective."

"The Senate is usually the last stop for new ideas … The Executive Council can pursue most actions without the Senate even hearing about it. When the Senate disagrees with an executive decision, it has almost no power."

The proposed changes will ensure that all members of the student government are at an equal level, Dickie said. The new governing system would allow student government opinions to be more reflective of the government as a whole and not just the Executive Council, he added.

Student Body President Tom Culligan said, "Essentially, the executive branch is not taking the proposal very seriously." The Executive Council, Culligan said, does "not feel [the] proposed reforms would benefit the student body in any real way."

The proposed changes will ensure that all members of the student government are at an equal level, Dickie said. The new governing system would allow student government opinions to be more reflective of the government as a whole and not just the Executive Council, he added.

Although Student Senate rules do not stipulate that a sponsoring senator must be present to have a bill introduced into the Senate, senior Krissy Schnebel, speaker of the Student Senate, delayed the bill until Dickie is present to read it.

"In the past, bills have been read with their authors absent without questions being raised," Dickie said of the delay. "I would contend that the physical presence of a member is inconsequential to the introduction of any resolution."

When his bill is introduced, Dickie said he will enter a motion to move the bill to committee. "I believe there is more work to be done to develop a workable system … There should be greater willingness to introduce matters before the Senate in their formative stages so that everyone can be allowed to participate in the discourse."

At next week’s meeting, the Student Senate will consider another constitutional reform bill that revises the process by which groups receive funding through front-end budgeting and contingency funds.
Copies of all legislations proposed to the Senate are available through the SGA Web site, http://sga.jmu.edu.