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Fate of Senate Bill hangs in the balance

Fate+of+Senate+Bill+hangs+in+the+balance

By Alexandra Figares
Editor-in-Chief


The Student Government Supreme Court will move forward with a judicial hearing regarding the future of a Senate bill that passed on Tuesday, Sept. 11, temporarily delaying the bill’s funding.
The hearing, which will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 27, will determine whether the bill will be overturned.
The Judicial Branch’s decision follows a complaint filed by a student concerning the ethics and legitimacy behind the bill’s voting procedure.
“We discussed whether the complaint had any validity or deserved to be heard in front of the court,” Chief Justice Shane Broadstone said in a judicial business meeting. “And what we decided was that it does indeed, and we will be holding judicative hearing on Wednesday.”  
The complaint in question concerns Senate Bill 1819-008: Alumni Student Traditions Bench. The bill passed unanimously in a Senate meeting after senators were offered memorialization of their name in exchange for a yes vote.
The bill – created by the Alumni Association in conjunction with Student Government – would   allocate about $40,000 toward a bronze bench intended to preserve university tradition.
In addition to addressing the complaint, the court implemented new rules and procedures in the Student Body Supreme Court to “create the power of judicial review.”
The judicial review hearings would allow the branch to convene and determine the legitimacy of “actions” and “intentions” behind bills, in accordance with the FGCU Student Government Constitution and the Florida State Constitution.
Changes in the Supreme Court guidelines were also made and include a public comment section, so members can present new issues to the court.
Broadstone also announced the court’s intention to update the branch’s page in Student Government’s official website. There is currently no information for the Judicial Branch, according to Broadstone.
The judicial hearing for the bill will be held at 6 p.m. in Cohen Center Room 246. The hearing is open to the public.

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