The Student Association is subject to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, according to a 5-year-old SA bill; however, SA executives question the validity of the bill.

The Northern Star obtained a copy of a bill, dated Nov. 1, 1998, which amends the SA bylaws to add Article V. F4 states the “Executive Session of the Student Association, Senate, and Supreme Court shall be governed by the Illinois Open Meetings Act (Current Edition), as officially designated by the Attorney General of Illinois.”

The amendment continues by stating, “All rules therein shall be followed.”

SA President Kevin Miller previously has said the SA is not subject to the act.

Miller, as well as SA Treasurer Shaun Crisler, said they were investigating the matter to determine whether the SA was subject to the act.

SA senators R.J. Gravel and Jeff Meyer, individuals not associated with the SA’s investigation, gave a copy of the bill to the Star last week.

Rick Clark, director of University Programming and Activities and Bertrand Simpson, associate director of UP&A gave Gravel and Meyer a copy of the bill, Gravel said.

Clark said he was faxed a copy of the bill by Kenneth Davidson, cooperation counsel for NIU.

The Star was unable to contact Davidson to confirm where the bill had come from, as it is not in the SA bylaws. The Star is investigating the origins of the bill.

Brooke Robinson, director of Public Affairs for the SA, said the SA is currently operating under bylaws that were updated in 1997, which does not include the amendment outlined in the bill.

Robinson doubted the validity of the document and pointed out some oddities within the structure of the bill.

The amendment identifies that the “Executive Session of the Student Association, Senate, and Supreme Court” will be governed by the act.

According to the act, an “executive session” is a closed meeting that has strict rules governing how the meeting will be conducted.

Meyer said the term “executive session” is not a term used by the Supreme Court, and questioned its place within the amendment.

In addition, Robinson pointed out the article name in the amendment to the bill has nothing to do with the “Executive Session of the Student Association,” nor does it have anything to do with open meetings.

The bill amends the bylaws to add Article V Section F4.

Robinson pointed out in the 1997 bylaws that Article V is titled “Qualifications for Committee Membership” and stops at Section C.