By Paul A. Anthony, Editor in Chief
A rise in the number of early departures from Students’ Association meetings has led two Congress members to begin researching ways to enforce absence rules, enact impeachment guidelines and count those who leave meetings early as absent.
The issue reached a head after Congress lost quorum for the second time this year Feb. 4 before it could discuss any business. As a result, student groups waited an extra week for Congress to approve $111,500, which included their allocations.
“Everyone’s always talking about taking SA seriously, but how can people take you seriously if you don’t have good attendance?” said Rep. Jason Knight, Edwards Hall.
Knight said he is “in the process” of creating plans for an outside investigatory committee to keep track of absences, note early departures and call for impeachment of chronically absent members.
Another member, Rep. Taylor Hemness, Don H. Morris Center, said he is talking to executive president Jonathan Wilkerson about the possibility of taking roll at the beginning and end of SA meetings-counting absent anyone who is not present at the final roll.
“It’s dumb of Congress members to come and sit through a two-hour presentation and not stay for the voting,” Hemness said. “I’d rather them not come so we know we won’t have quorum.”
Wilkerson said that unless Congress wishes to change the SA meeting time, he will excuse those who leave early to attend Wednesday night church services.
Congress last year voted down a resolution that would have moved SA meetings to another night.
“The meetings aren’t the only place where we get things done,” Wilkerson said. “I think next year’s administration and next year’s Congress might consider another meeting time.”
Congress members also are welcome to bring up other members for impeachment if those members have gone over the By-Laws-allowed three absences, Wilkerson said, but he would not change early departures to absences.
“The absence policy is determined by the president,” he said. “It’s clearly set up so that neither of us [the administration or Congress] has too much power.”
Hemness said Congress should do a better job of using its impeachment power. Four Congress members missed an impeachable number of meetings in the fall; none was impeached.
He also praised Knight’s plan, calling it “an excellent idea.”
