After a heated debate Wednesday night, the Associated Student Government did not pass a proposal allowing senators proxy representation.
The proposed legislation would allow senators to appoint a temporary replacement if they are unable to attend important meetings.
ASG President Claire Lew said that while she understands why a replacement might be necessary in certain situations, legislation should always be geared toward protecting students.
“There’s no warrant for having anything in place to jeopardize the integrity of the vote,” Lew said. “The legislation is about the responsibilities of an elected representative. We want to listen to informed arguments instead of special interests.”
Those opposed to the legislation said senators should represent their constituents at important meetings, especially those that deal with funding. Those in favor of the legislation said senators should be trusted to appoint a replacement as part of their responsibilities. It was the liveliest debate the group has had during a rather tame quarter, Lew said.
“Having the debate was really important, ” Lew said. “We’re supposed to hear different opinions. There has not been much debate this quarter.”
An amendment allowing replacements to be made two weeks in advance by approval of the Speaker was rejected. The legislation passed in a split vote, meaning alternates are prohibited.
ASG Vice President Hiro Kawashima discussed progress on plans to improve cell phone reception in North Campus buildings. ASG approached Northwestern University Information Technology with data from a walkthrough of the Technological Institute building last week.
“NUIT was ecstatic,” Kawashima said. “I want to stress NUIT wants to do this, but they just do not have the money.”
ASG previously worked to improve cell phone reception in Norris University Center – an endeavor which cost $250,000. Kawashima said the current project would be significantly more expensive.
“It’s not about raising funds,” Kawashima said. “It’s about allocating those funds to a proper place.”
