DeKALB — The Student Association Senate passed a resolution to compel the SA Executive Branch to report to the Senate as it is frequently prescribed in the SA Bylaws, due to the lack of monthly executive reports within the 50th session.

The resolution, which was passed with 22 in favor, 2 oppositions and 4 abstentions, entails that there are over a dozen documented instances of no executive reports from the branch. According to the SA constitution, every officer of the SA must submit a written or oral report to the Senate each month, these reports can be written or in person.

Historian Michael Kane said there are at least 13 members of the executive branch that haven’t submitted a report in five weeks, three who haven’t in seven weeks and one or two who haven’t in ten weeks as well.  

Deputy Speaker Cassandra Kamp said there have been members of the executive branch who give reports every four weeks, but there are some who also don’t at least submit a written report.

“We, as the Rules and Procedures Committee, thought that writing a resolution expressing disapproval from the Senate for not reporting to us is something we should do because it’s important [the Senate] knows what’s going on,” Kamp said.

Chairperson Foruge and Kamp both agreed and said that this resolution doesn’t mean they’re not doing their job, it means that the Senate doesn’t know they’re doing their job because there is no documentation of it.

“I’m sure President Cross has done great things, I know he has done great things,” Forgue said. “This is just a way of holding them accountable, saying ‘hey, we need you to talk to us and work with us.’”

Senator James Holmes asked what if members of the executive branch have submitted a report but it was denied.

Kane said there has only been one instance this semester where a report was denied because it was deemed as inappropriate. According to a March 28 Northern Star article, the one instance was Chief of Staff Citrick Davis. Reports that are submitted and denied don’t count as an official report and members have the opportunity to edit the report and submit it again by a certain deadline. By the time Davis submitted his edited report, it was too late.

Chairperson Naomi Bolden asked what was the point of this resolution considering that the session is about to conclude.

“What would the Rules and Procedures Committee think would be the effectiveness of this resolution?” Bolden asked. “Is the idea of this to be promoted to the next session because these members already know that they are supposed to submit executive reports?”

Kamp, who is a part of the Rules and Procedures Committee, said the resolution is for the 51st session and also anticipates that the current executive members will submit reports within the remaining weeks left.

“[The reports] can show what progress has been made and essentially reflect on the duties or responsibilities that we can carry over into next semester,” Kamp said.

Chairperson Ryan Carmody said he supports the resolution even though the session is coming to an end. He said this resolution will set the standards for the next session.

“We’ve had problems in the past whether records should be compelled to report based on the frequency prescribed by the bylaws,” Carmody said. “I feel as though this kind of lays the groundwork for setting the standard and for action which may need to be taken in the 51st session.”