The Student Union Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) presented a final version of a new constitution to senators, class council members and school council representatives Wednesday.

The proposed constitution will be debated over the next two weeks at the weekly senate meetings held in Umrath Lounge, culminating with a vote on whether to include the new constitution on the fall ballot for campus-wide, student approval.

If the senate votes against the new constitution, CRC members plan to petition the entire student body for its inclusion on the fall ballot. Signatures of 50 percent of WU students would be needed to include the proposed constitution on the ballot for this fall’s elections, which are planned for the end of October.

CRC has numerous objectives, but a chief focus was to create a structure for SU that allowed for the most activism among students and representatives. According to CRC Chairwoman Emily Reinhart, the new document will be more transparent, especially in regard to monetary issues.

“We wanted to create a more accessible, visible, and functional constitution for the entire student body,” Reinhart said.

The proposed constitution would overhaul the current system, reshaping the manner in which SU operates on campus. A bicameral legislature would be created, with a new treasury branch formed to address budgetary and student group issues.

The budget committee would resemble other SU standing committees. Instead of being an intense commitment for a few weeks each semester, the budget committee would meet on a consistent basis to address fall and spring budget allocations and other budget appeals.

Another notable change is the elimination of the attorney general position; an election commissioner would absorb most of those responsibilities, with some being delegated to the SU president.

The creation of the treasury branch would give more students a chance to get involved in SU by increasing the number of positions available. Around 24 senate seats will be available, along with 17 in the treasury. The Student Group Activities Committee will also be part of a treasury branch that focuses more on budgetary and student group issues.

Other major adjustments include strengthening the role of the judicial branch and the constitutional council, giving them a more defined role in elections and impeachment proceedings. Updating the statutes, which are the legislative complements of the constitution, and removing outdated procedures was another important point in modifying the constitution.

If passed, the positions outlined in the new constitution would be on the spring 2003 ballot. The changes would then take effect in the fall of 2003.

A vote on the constitution was originally scheduled for last January, but Reinhart and Jason Green, then a co-chair of the CRC, pushed the vote back to allow for additional statutes to be added and debated. Also, they said they hope that the additional time will allow students and elected SU officials to gain a better grasp of what the new constitution offers.

Students can access copies of the proposed constitution online at www.su.wustl.edu. The CRC is also planning to e-mail student groups with information about the constitution. Students can raise their questions and concerns to senators, class council members and other elected officials.

Plans are also in the works to incorporate discussions on the proposed constitution into SU Week, which is

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