In a display of defiance, the Student Government Association senate voted to override SGA President James Bonsall’s veto of a passed constitutional amendment at their meeting on Nov. 19.

The amendment will add the office of secretary into the constitution. Bonsall vetoed the amendment because he said the constitution was already too long.

“I don’t think the constitution needs to be any longer than it already is,” Bonsall said. “If I were a senator, I would create a bill removing all officer positions [from the constitution] because they are already in the bylaws. Why add more to a 28-page-plus document?”

While the SGA approved the constitutional amendment, the student body must approve the changes at the SGA elections in the spring.

SGA Senator Ruben Dodge, computer science freshman, said the fact students have to approve the changes adds clarity to the process.

“We can edit the bylaws ourselves at anytime, but we can’t modify the constitution without student approval,” Dodge said.

SGA Senator Johann Pedolzky, philosophy and political science junior, said he agreed.

“Any paid officer position needs to be in the document,” Pedolzky said. “The approval of the student body makes the document more transparent.”

Bonsall said he disagreed, and he said the constitution was already clear.

“The bylaws are already transparent enough,” Bonsall said. “Not only do you repeat what’s already there, but you may see contradictions from what you see in the bylaws. You might see some lapses in the constitution if every paid officer isn’t mentioned.”

Bonsall said the veto against him did not come as a surprise.

“I definitely expected it,” he said. “I just wanted to make a point that it doesn’t make sense to add things into the constitution that are already there in the bylaws.”

The meeting was bogged down by further amendment discussion, all of which reorganized and merged sections of the document together.

In other business, Bonsall gave an update on the Purdue College of Technology and IUS School of Education building.

Bonsall said the location is still being discussed, but tentative plans call for the building to be placed in the parking lot directly in front of University Center North.

“The building has already been approved by the state legislature, but the bond money hasn’t been approved yet,” Bonsall said. “Regardless, they’re shooting for a late summer ground-breaking.”

The senate voiced concern that placement of the building in front of the University Center would make the parking situation more difficult.

Bonsall said 75 to 100 parking spaces will be lost if they put the building in one of the main parking lots.

“But [the IU administration plans] on expanding the lot by the Physical Sciences building where the overflow lot is,” Bonsall said. “As many parking spots that they take away, that many if not more will be added.”

By ZAK OWENS
Staff Writer
zowens@ius.edu