Students can vote Tuesday on changes to the Student Government Constitution in addition to voting for a president, a vice president and college councils. The changes are meant to clarify discrepancies and unclear procedures for elections, appointments and other categories. The Senate passed the proposed changes almost unanimously in its Feb. 17 meeting. There was only one “nay” and several abstentions. Students for a Better SG, a Facebook group in support of the change, said the campaign aims to “promote and advocate the passage of the constitutional revisions appearing on the ballot this election.”Arts and Sciences Senator Aaron Cafferel and Basic Sciences Senator Jared Bourgeois authored the legislation. The changes are necessary to clean up the constitution, Cafferel said. “There are a lot of discrepancies in voting or certain things like approving the rules of court and approving bylaws,” Cafferel said. He said he wanted to articulate each branch’s role in SG and implement that in the revised constitution. The most controversial change to the constitution was the elimination of the Trial Court. The University Court and Trial Court are under the judicial branch. But a defendant can appeal and appear in University Court after failing in Trial Court. “A lot of people end up not appealing after going to Trial Court,” Cafferel said. “We have it going straight to University Court. [Having] nine of your peers would be a much better system.”College of Arts and Sciences Senator Drew Prestridge was the only senator who voted against the constitution passage. “The Trial Court is a crucial part of the judicial branch,” Prestridge said. “But as far as the entire constitution goes for making Student Government better, I hope the whole thing collectively passes the student body.”Other changes to the constitution include reapportionment for senators to number of students, a one-term limit for SG presidents, fall University Court elections and college councils’ move to the executive branch. —-Contact Catherine Threlkeld at [email protected].