Rules Committee evaluates clarifying Green Tape
The ASUO Student Senate Rules Committee discussed possible changes to the ASUO Green Tape Notebook, which contains the governing documents of student government, Friday at the committee’s first meeting of the year.
Several senators said the Green Tape Notebook could be clarified, whether by creating clearer divisions between the different documents or by some other method.
“I think in some ways they can be divided into separate documents,” ASUO Student Senate President Ben Strawn said.
Senate Ombudsman Mike Sherman, who is not a member of the Rules Committee, said he would prefer using another method to give the Green Tape Notebook more clarity.
“I guess there are benefits to separating the documents, but I tend to think that’s why we have subject headings,” Sherman said. He discussed renumbering the rules to make them easier to find.
The committee also is looking into writing a “quick reference guide” to make the Green Tape Notebook more accessible.
The role of ASUO controllers, and who supervises them, also emerged as an issue. Technically, the ASUO president is supposed to manage the controllers, but in practice they are supervised by the ASUO accounting coordinator, ASUO Controller Christina Diss said.
Strawn said the committee will work with ASUO President Maddy Melton to define the role of controllers more clearly.
The committee will meet Fridays for the remainder of the term as part of an annual process to evaluate ASUO rules. At the end of the process, the committee will vote on any changes, which the full Student Senate and ASUO Constitution Court also must approve.
Strawn said the committee should finish its work by May 1 to give the Constitution Court enough time to approve the changes before law students leave for the summer.

— Chuck Slothower