Changes approved last night in the Student Assembly mean that come fall, Binghamton University student groups could have a bigger say in BU’s student government.

The amendments to the Student Association constitution, which need to be voted upon by the student body Feb. 21, were mostly changes to the inner workings of the Student Association, including reducing the responsibilities of the Executive Vice President. The vote also expelled the New York Public Interest Research Group from the Student Assembly.

Perhaps the most substantial reorganization was the creation of a Student Group Council, a body which would be designed as a ‘highway’ for information between student groups, the SA and the administration.

The Council would exist as an advanced form of the existing Leadership Council, with representatives from every student group getting together to discuss group interests and needs.

The measure passed without contest, as did the amendment dividing the office of the EVP into two: the Student Assembly Chair, and the Executive Vice President, who would be working exclusively with student groups.

The EVP (currently David Belsky) would lead the council in what Belsky described as ‘basically a forum for conversation between student groups and the University.’

Chris Powell, vice-chair of the Financial Council who supported the amendments, said in an interview that the Council would prevent miscommunication between the Student Association and student groups ‘ the kind of miscommunication that has recently lead to student groups missing registration deadlines and losing funds.

But while most of the constitutional changes passed without difficultly during the relatively short hour-and-a-half-long discussion, representatives debated heavily over the amendment that would remove the New York Public Interest Research Group’s (NYPIRG’s) two Assembly seats.

The NYPIRG representatives, who had support from Vice President for Multicultural Affairs David Bass and Matt Landau, the at-large representative for Newing College, fought for their seats ‘ the only remaining ones of their kind at any SUNY school.

‘The Assembly consistently has moved towards working on its own governance rather than working at the big picture,’ Bass said. ‘NYPIRG would be a good thing for us to align ourselves with.’

Landau spoke emotionally of what he characterized as the Assembly’s misplaced priorities.

‘We don’t do enough for students,’ he said. He added that NYPIRG’s state-wide advocacy on student issues was a good thing.

But Alex Rosenthal, who authored last night’s changes, called NYPIRG’s place on the Assembly ‘just plain wrong,’ and ‘a matter of democracy.’

The NYPIRG representatives do not vote on budgetary matters.

The amendments also incorporated the Intercultural Awareness Committee into the VPMA’s office and strengthened the Judicial Board. According to Bass, the move would allow the VPMA to concentrate more on multicultural programming through the ICA, a change that would make the office a stronger campus presence. Expanding the Judicial Board’s power would allow it to make far more ‘clear, narrow, final decisions,’ Rosenthal wrote in an e-mail explaining the amendment last week.

Assembly members had been considering revamping the constitution for the past two years, but disputed over how exactly to do so had obstructed the process.

While Rosenthal and his followers had advocated for moderate changes to the constitution, Belsky had been involved in completely rewriting it. As Rosenthal described them, his own measures last night were a compromise between the two options.

‘Gradual change works best, because it’s not too drastic,’ Rosenthal said.

Powell, who along with Eric Katz appeared to be one of the amendment’s biggest supporters, said that the changes would be ‘supporting the principles of good government’ by creating a greater separation of power between the SA’s three branches, the Judicial Board, the Student Assembly, and the Executive Board.