In an effort to improve the overall operation of the ASUC, a senate committee will begin to investigate potential changes to consolidate and restructure the ASUC bylaws and constitution.

At the senate meeting Wednesday evening, co-chairs of the senate standing committee on Constitutional and Procedural Review, CalSERVE senator Nolan Pack  and Cooperative Movement senator Jorge Pacheco announced initial recommendations to be further developed over the upcoming semester break.

Some of the biggest overhauls to the ASUC bylaws address issues with the ASUC’s finances, election laws and oversight of appointed officials. The finalized recommendations will be debated by the senate in the spring.

At the meeting, there was no opposition during the discussion surrounding the necessity of reforming the bylaws.

“If all these changes are going to be made, we’ll really have to help the next senate class out,” said CalSERVE senator Deejay Pepito. “The passing on of institutional knowledge and leadership is also something wrong with the ASUC.”

Pacheco described the committee’s efforts as a holistic approach to reforming the ASUC’s constitution and bylaws, which he called “dysfunctional, contradictory and redundant.”

“I want the ASUC to make a change on campus,” he said. “But we have to change ourselves first.”

Efforts to reform the bylaws were initiated by a bill — SB 13 — that requires a “comprehensive study” of the ASUC’s current operations and “specific recommendations” to be given for its improvement. The bill calls the ASUC’s current operations “an accumulation of policies that exhibit various deficiencies.”

The bill also states that transparency and accountability of appointed officials “have historically been challenging issues” — issues that the committee hopes to tackle next semester.

According to Pacheco, the committee is considering changes that would allow the senate to hold a vote of no confidence in those appointed who do not carry out their duties.

During the senate meeting on Wednesday, Pack also outlined changes meant to address some of the structural causes of the ASUC’s anticipated $50,000 deficit. He proposed the creation of a “separate pool of money for funding student groups” so that the senate would not have to use its Contingency Fund, which it often depletes. He also suggested the establishment of an appointed position, comptroller general, to act as a reporting auditor.

Additionally, Pacheco said that any recommended amendments that change election laws would be in effect by the next ASUC election, which will take place this spring.

Jeremy Gordon covers student government. Contact him at [email protected]

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