Central Student Government met Tuesday night to pass a resolution to stand against police brutality, discuss a resolution to amend the Central Student Judiciary nomination process and discuss a resolution to increase accountability for CSG legislative discretionary funds.
Passage of new resolution to stand against police brutality and host corresponding event
Following the voting down of a resolution to stand in solidarity with the citizens of Ferguson against police brutality, CSG members drafted a new resolution, which was passed with a nearly unanimous vote.
The resolution acknowledges that police brutality has been increasing on a national level. In addition, it outlines CSG’s vow to stand in solitary with the people of Ferguson, Missouri against police brutality.
Seven CSG representatives wrote this resolution; community members and CSG representatives both authored the former one. The new legislation demonstrates solidarity with policy solutions outlined in a change.org petition by activist Shaun King and the Dream Defenders — a social justice organization from Florida.
LSA senior Michael Chrzan said this resolution differed greatly from earlier resolutions because it was more University-centered.
“The resolution focused more on this campus as far as what students at Michigan can actually do to address the issue of police brutality,” Chrzan said.
In addition, the resolution said the authors of the resolution will partner with the Commission on Student Safety and Security to host an event focused on dialogue about police brutality.
“The event will feature discussion about what police brutality is to bring awareness to this campus,” Chrzan said. “We also want to talk about how we can proactively work to make sure issues of police brutality don’t happen here at the University and how we can maintain a safe campus.”
Further details about the event will be announced Nov. 15.
Introduction of resolution to amend Constitution of the Student Body of Ann Arbor
CSG representatives introduced a resolution to amend the nomination process for justices in the Central Student Judiciary. The resolution will grant CSG members the power to recommend potential candidates for seats within CSJ, as well as grant the CSG President the authority to approve those nominations.
The current nomination process, which has existed since 1979, allows only returning justices to nominate new candidates for seats, and the assembly members are only allowed to participate in the votes to confirm those nominations.
Law student Justin Kingsolver, CSG Student General Counsel, worked alongside other CSG representatives in drafting the resolution, and said the amendments to the constitution will help make CSG assembly members more active in the judiciary appointment process.
“We want the assembly members involved in the nomination process from stage one,” Kingsolver said. “We want assembly members to also be able to recommend candidates, rather than only returning justices choosing the remainder of the judiciary.”
Kingsolver and the rest of the authors of the resolution acknowledge that the existing process for Justice selection has been successful in selecting the highest quality justices, but the new resolution will ensure that CSG will truly embody a democratic student government.
The CSG assembly plans to vote on the resolution next Tuesday.
Introduction of resolution to increase accountability for CSG legislative discretionary funds
With substantial funds available for allocation to partnered student organizations this year, the assembly also discussed a new resolution to amend how they allocate funds to partnered organizations.
The resolution seeks to standardize and formalize the existing process by requiring student organizations to sign a grant agreement before they are allocated requested funds toward their organizations.
CSG Treasurer Alex Abdun-Nabi, an LSA senior and one of the authors of the resolution, said the grant agreement will require student organizations to adhere to certain stipulations set by CSG.
“The grant agreement will give CSG the authority to impose certain conditions on student organizations,” Abdun-Nabi said. “We want to make sure we’re funding things we’ve agreed to fund, and not things we didn’t.”
The grant agreement will require student organizations to provide receipts demonstrating how funds from CSG have been spent. It will also state that if this condition is not met, repayment will be required.
Overall, Abdun-Nabi said the resolution will hold organizations that request funding from CSG more accountable for how they spend those funds.
“The student body contributes to the budget that is for allocation to student organizations,” Abdun-Nabi said. “We want to ensure that all money allocated is spent effectively and appropriately.”