[media-credit name=’SIGNE BREWSTER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]
The University of Wisconsin Student Council approved a new constitution Wednesday, leaving one more step before it can be presented to students in a special election in February.
The need for a new constitution was prompted from a lack of accountability and inefficient communication within the Associated Students of Madison. The new document is different than the current parliamentary system in that it reflects a need for a stronger executive.
“I am not so arrogant to believe that it is anywhere near perfect,” said Jeff Wright, Constitutional Committee chair and SC representative. “I do believe the proposed constitution is an improvement and has the greater capacity to serve students.”
Several students from groups funded through the General Student Services Funds spoke out against the proposed constitution because they would like to see the constitution’s bylaws.
Chynna Haas, representative for the Working Class Student Union, said certain GSSF groups would mobilize and reject the new constitution in the special elections if their concerns were not addressed.
“If we’re doing general reform, we want protection against things that we see could happen to us down the road,” Haas said.
Student Services Finance Committee Secretary and Badger Herald columnist Kyle Szarzynski said the creation of a president — along with the new executive power — could create several problems.
“The new constitution basically allows the new executive to have dictatorial power over the rest of senate,” Szarzynski said. “People say the president is popularly elected, but I think we all know what ASM elections turn into.”
According to ASM Chair Brittany Wiegand, if the new constitution is passed the election of the new president and other officers would be in the general spring elections, so the new government would be in place at the start of the next academic year.
SC also passed an amendment to place a cap on ASM’s internal 2009-10 internal budget at $1,034,691, an increase of 3.6 percent.
SSFC Chair and SC representative Kurt Gosselin said he came up with the cap number by using last year’s budget and the Higher Education Pricing Index.
After any final revisions are made, SC must approve the constitution once more before it goes to the student body for a vote.