Kelley vetoes MSA election rights bill
June 4, 2008
Last week, MSA President Jim Kelley vetoed a bill that would have established bills of rights for voters and candidates in MSA elections. The bill had prompted a long debate and a clear division in support when it passed the Senate May 7 in the longest and last meeting of the year.
Missouri Students Association Senator Amanda Shelton, who authored the legislation, based it on similar bills of rights granted to Missouri voters.
Shelton, who is out of the country, declined to comment until she has more information on the situation.
The legislation, which passed 12-6, allows voters to cast paper ballots; receive a new ballot if the first one is spoiled or if the voter makes an error; cast provisional ballots; and cast absentee ballots.
Concerns about the possibility of double voting, which Kelley said is his biggest problem with the bill, arose in Senate and were echoed in Kelley’s veto.
Kelley said he would work with Shelton and Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays to find a solution this summer and propose new legislation when the Senate’s 48th session begins this fall, but specific plans have not been made.
Mays said he would not call a special summer session of Senate for the purpose of overriding the veto unless senators call for it. No MSA legislation has been vetoed in at least six years.
Mays said he wants to bring in political science professors and research past MSA elections to run through scenarios and have an informed background on elections.
“I think we need to have an informed discussion on election theory,” he said. “We need to acknowledge we’re dealing with very difficult philosophical questions.”
Another issue at hand is whether any parts of the legislation contradict already -existing bylaws or the organization's constitution or are redundant.
Kelley said MSA leaders need to overhaul the “sloppy” bylaws completely and not just during election season.
“What we say in the preamble and constitution should be consistent with the bylaws,” he said.
He said he felt the veto was the responsible thing to do.
“I want to make sure that the Senate understands that if we pass this piece of legislation that it doesn’t go far enough,” he said. “There are problems that are bigger and more pressing.”
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