Constitutional Amendment for Caucus Elections Bill

ARTICLE IV: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH … ARTICLE 4, SECTION 1. Structure The Legislative Branch shall be composed of the Student Senate and shall meet at least once a week during the fall and spring semesters. The Senate shall be comprised of the following representatives, elected from amongst their constituent groups: Five Class Senators from each graduating class, totalling twenty class representatives. a. One of these representatives, who shall be the primary class representative and must run as a separate position on the ballot, shall be chosen by a classwide election for “Class President”. This position remains that of a Senator for the intent of the Senate. The remaining four representatives shall be chosen by a concurrent classwide election for “Class Senators”. Class representatives may serve as non-voting ex-officio members of their Class Programming Council if they so choose. Seven Academic Senators from the Krieger School and Five Academic Senators from the Whiting school, totaling twelve representatives. One Senator from each category of student organizations SGA recognizes, elected from amongst the student body, totalling nine representatives. A Chair of each SGA Caucus shall be elected from amongst the student body, and be a Senator in the Senate, if the following conditions are met: The caucus must have been established in the SGA Bylaws prior to January 1st of the election year. The caucus must remain in existence at the time of elections. Representatives shall be chosen by raw vote total within each election (i.e. the top five representatives from each school are chosen). The Legislative Branch shall also have the authority to appoint a Senate Parliamentarian with the majority consent of the Senate. The Senate Parliamentarian shall be tasked with knowing and maintaining the Senate’s adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order and all governing documents of the SGA. The President of the Senate shall oversee this appointment process.

ARTICLE IV: LEGISLATIVE BRANCH … ARTICLE 4, SECTION 1. Structure The Legislative Branch shall be composed of the Student Senate and shall meet at least once a week during the fall and spring semesters. The Senate shall be comprised of the following representatives, elected from amongst their constituent groups: Five Class Senators from each graduating class, totalling twenty class representatives. a. One of these representatives, who shall be the primary class representative and must run as a separate position on the ballot, shall be chosen by a classwide election for “Class President”. This position remains that of a Senator for the intent of the Senate. The remaining four representatives shall be chosen by a concurrent classwide election for “Class Senators”. Class representatives may serve as non-voting ex-officio members of their Class Programming Council if they so choose. Seven Academic Senators from the Krieger School and Five Academic Senators from the Whiting school, totaling twelve representatives. One Senator from each category of student organizations SGA recognizes, elected from amongst the student body, totalling nine representatives. A Chair of each SGA Caucus shall be elected from amongst the student body, and be a Senator in the Senate, if the following conditions are met: The caucus must have been established in the SGA Bylaws prior to January 1st of the election year. The Committee on Student Elections can waive this requirement at their discretion. The caucus must remain in existence at the time of elections. Representatives shall be chosen by raw vote total within each election (i.e. the top five representatives from each school are chosen). The Legislative Branch shall also have the authority to appoint a Senate Parliamentarian with the majority consent of the Senate. The Senate Parliamentarian shall be tasked with knowing and maintaining the Senate’s adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order and all governing documents of the SGA. The President of the Senate shall oversee this appointment process

Current Language

Proposed Language

Rationale

Granting discretionary powers to the CSE would allow for timely and effective elections for caucus positions without the need for lengthy amendments to the Constitution each time a new caucus is established or requires election. This amendment aims to streamline the election process, promote inclusivity within the SGA, and ensure that all eligible caucus members have the opportunity to participate in the democratic process. By empowering the CSE with discretionary powers, the SGA can adapt more efficiently to the evolving needs and interests of the student body.