In ASG’s weekly meeting, the Senate voted unanimously to establish an ad hoc committee that will explore creating a judicial branch within ASG. The new committee will address concerns of discipline – especially those that rose out of last year’s contested election – and consider a judicial branch’s creation based on those at other universities nationwide.
“This committee is essentially to create the best judicial branch we can think of,” Speaker of the Senate Nehaarika Mulukutla said of the bill’s proposal.
The Rules Committee, ASG’s current body in charge of handling disciplinary measures, went under scrutiny last spring for allegedly mishandling the disciplination of President Christina Cilento and Vice President Macs Vinson. Both Cilento and Vinson received information about the voting margin last year while the polls were still open, which some felt then swayed the election because Cilento’s and Vinson’s supporters could then encourage other students to vote for them and close the margin. However, the committee and Senate last year ultimately decided not to remove Cilento and Vinson from office, a decision some members of the student body disagreed with.
As a result, this year Vinson and other ASG members decided a judicial branch was necessary to more adequately handle rule violations. Mulukutla mentioned during the meeting that last year’s Rules Committee was unsure how to handle the alleged violations, and establishing a judicial branch that would be well-versed in disciplinary procedure would be beneficial for everyone.
Additionally, ASG discussed the success of their “Pedal Bright” event held on Monday. They distributed all of their 333 helmets in under two hours, and several members will be meeting with alumni at the end of this week to solicit a donation for more permanent bike safety measures to be implemented in the future. Cilento and a few other members will also be meeting two Evanston aldermen tomorrow to walk along Sheridan Road and discuss more biker-conscious measures like reducing the speed limit and adding a bike lane.