GOVERNMENT BILL 32

 

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

An act TO AUTHORIZE A REFERENDUM on reMOving the current article v of THE student body constitution to allow for future re-chartering of the student media AUTHORITY

 

Short Title: SMA Independence Referendum                                                                          (Public)

Sponsored by: Senators DOUCETTE (corresponding), YASIN

First Reading: September 20, 2006                                            Version Date: September 17, 2006

Referred to: __________________________________________________________.

 

WHEREAS,   the Student Body removed the Student Media Authority (SMA) from the Student Body Constitution by referendum on March 31, 1993, making the SMA Constitution an appendix of the Student Body Statutes; and,

 

WHEREAS,   as a result of controversies relating to the appointment of members of the Student Media Authority in 1999-2000, the SMA Constitution was reinstated under the Student Body Constitution in a referendum on November 12, 2001; and,

 

WHEREAS,   while the intentions behind placing the SMA Constitution under the Student Body Constitution may be understandable, there is no justifiable reason for student media to be controlled in any way by student government; and,

 

WHEREAS,   a permanent separation of the media from the government is therefore in order; now, therefore be it

 

ENACTED,    by the North Carolina State University Student Senate that:

 

Section 1.        Statutory Authority. This bill is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Article VII of the Student Body Constitution, and Chapter 2, Rule 17(b)(3) of the Student Body Statutes.

 

Section 2.        The Student Body Constitution shall be amended by striking Article V entitled "Student Media Authority" and reserving the Article for future use.

 

Section 3.        Enabling Legislation.  Upon the adoption of this referendum by the Student Body, the Student Media Authority shall be empowered to operate under such interim governing documents as its existing members may adopt, provided that a new, independent Constitution is submitted for placement on a referendum to be included on the Spring General Election ballot.

 

Section 4.        Upon enrollment, this act shall be presented to the Student Body in the form of a referendum on the next available election ballot.  This act shall become effective upon approval of two-thirds of those students voting in the referendum.