IU students voted to pass two amendments to the IUSG constitution. The first amendment will eliminate the required minimum number of multicultural seats in IUSG Congress and the second will clarify when appointments are needed to replace vacant congressional seats.
The first amendment, Congress Enrolled Constitution Resolution No.2, regarding congressional legitimacy, passed with 53.98% of students voting in favor.
CECR2 was approved by the IUSG Congress on Jan. 9 and will eliminate the required minimum number of multicultural seats in Congress, change when multicultural organizations can apply for a congressional seat and eliminate the concept of congressional legitimacy.
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Multicultural groups can now petition for seats in Congress if they miss the original deadline to apply for a seat, the first Monday of October. The amendment also states congressional officers must reach out to multicultural groups to provide information about when groups can apply.
Previously, 31 seats were required in Congress to represent multicultural groups and disadvantaged communities on campus. Now, under the new amendment, there won’t be a minimum number of multicultural seats in Congress.
The second amendment, Congress Enrolled Constitution Resolution No.3, concerning vacancy terms, passed with 56.9% of students voting in favor of the amendment.
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CECR3 was approved by Congress on Jan. 23 and will clarify when appointments are needed to replace vacant congressional seats that have expired. The amendment states if an academic or residential seat is vacant, Congress can make a temporary appointment until the upcoming general election, and the appointment will expire after the election.
For a part of the constitution to be amended, Congress must have two-thirds votes in favor of that amendment, which then will be voted on by the student body in an upcoming election or special referendum. The Constitution can also be amended if 10% of the student body presents a petition to the chief justice of IUSG, according to the IUSG constitution.
CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story was published with missing information.
