University students now have more access to Student Government e-mails after SG President Michelle Gieg vetoed a Student Senate bill Wednesday that limited e-mail access.
Heath Hattaway, College of Arts and Sciences senator, authored the bill defining SG e-mail server access as allowing all students to receive general SG e-mails but not allowing access to real-time e-mails from senate subcommittees.
Gieg’s veto allows real-time e-mail access to all subcommittees – with the approval of the subcommittee chairpersons. Gieg’s veto was upheld Wednesday night by a 19-16 senate vote. Five senators abstained from the vote.
In a veto letter addressed to SG officials, Gieg wrote the bill “challenged the transparency” of SG and “would have had lasting harms by hiding the inner workings of Student Government.”
Hattaway explained Jan. 25 at the SG meeting that students wanting information about subcommittees could have “guest access,” which would allow document viewing but no e-mail access.
Students who were non-committee members would have to make public records requests to obtain those e-mails, Hattaway said.
Donald Hodge, graduate school senator, filed a complaint in the fall because he was allegedly removed four times from the e-mail lists and had to make public record requests to obtain them. Hodge said he is satisfied with Gieg’s veto.
“I supported the veto,” Hodge said. “Students shouldn’t have to go through this bureaucracy.”
Hattaway said he was not surprised Gieg vetoed the bill or that the Senate upheld the veto.
“The Senate very rarely overrides vetoes,” Hattaway said.
According to senate rules, new legislation about vetoed subject manner cannot be reintroduced until the next legislative session.
Ben Anderson, Senate speaker pro-tempore, said he disagreed with Gieg’s veto.
“I voted to overturn [the veto],” Anderson said. “The bill would have allowed effective communication.”
 
Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]