The Student Senate began to re-establish its summer committee at Wednesday night’s meeting.
Senate President Jessica Timpany presented a group of amendments, approved by the senate rules committee, governing how the smaller body of the senate will serve during summer term.
The ASUO Constitution Court deemed the current rules unconstitutional in February for a variety of reasons, including the fact that summer senators are elected by the full senate, not the students.
The new rules proposal would allow any senator to serve who can be in Eugene, attend at least two-thirds of the meetings and hold required office hours. A maximum of 10 senators could serve on the summer committee and full senate officers would receive precedence to serve. Quorum for the body would be two-thirds of the filled seats.
But some of the senators had problems with parts of the proposal. Sen. Shantell Rice pointed out that if only three people could make it to the meetings and thus be on the summer senate, two people could decide how $5,000 of incidental fee money could be spent.
Sens. Spencer Hamlin and Jereme Gryzbowski said they did not think summer senators, who are paid less than senators during the year, should have to hold as many posted office hours, especially in the senate office.
“If it’s one-third the pay, it should be one-third the work,” Gryzbowski said.
Gryzbowski, Hamlin, Timpany and Sens. C.J. Gabbe and Andrew Schneider made up last year’s summer senate and were found guilty of nonfulfillment of duty charges by the court in the same decision.
The senate voted to postpone a vote on the issue until next Wednesday’s meeting so senators have more time to review exactly what changes they want the rules committee to consider before making a vote.