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ASCC Senate failed to override ASCC President Jasmin Ramirez’s veto Wednesday on a bill that would alter the selection process of ASCC awards committees.

ASCC Senator Yidegar Santiago Zuniga introduced the bill, titled the Student Integrity Act in January.

Its purpose was “To prevent discrimination, retaliation and bias actions on behalf of the president and vice president of the Associated Students of Cerritos College and student members of such committee,” as stated in the Legislation.

Ramirez vetoed the bill because she said that it did not embody the mission of the ASCC, because it infringes on the responsibilities that should be strictly of the students for the students.

“We want our students to grow, and the bill was going to sort of take that away,” she said.

Bill SB011-69 would change the way the ASCC Awards Committee would be selected.

Instead of the President having the power to appoint students from the ASCC to the Awards Committee, It would let the committee be chosen by four official recognized advisors from the clubs under the Inter-Club Council, four local residents from the Cerritos College District, and four students of Cerritos College.

Ramirez said that giving the right to their director to choose the members took away their rights as student leaders to be able to choose their own awards banquet committee.

The issue, brought to attention by Zuniga, was that it may inflict a conflict of interest within the applicants and members of such committee, leading to discrimination or bias in the way the awards applicants are chosen, according to the legislation.

Zuniga said the bias issue has been a constant issue for years.

He wants to make sure graduating students get the awards they earned, instead of someone who might be less deserving of an award to receive one. He plans to create a similar bill once more and present it to Ramirez.

“A committee set up by students does not allow student [applicants] to be treated fairly at the same time,” Zuniga said.

“Hopefully it [the new bill] will still be able to be approved and made law this semester, because it really is important for the students,” he added.

He also added that students had previously approached him with concerns of selecting members of the committees.

“Students came to me and said, ‘Could you do something about this?’

“What motivated me to start this was the students’ needs and to at least attempt to solve the problems that have been going on.”

Senator Rob Flores says that he would expect anyone responsible with the tasks of acknowledging active individuals to be fair.

“I am not favoring any side, I’m certain they will reach an understanding, maybe modify what has already been established,” he said.

Ramirez says she indeed wants to prevent the biased decisions, but the bill did not provide the exact changes she felt were necessary.

“I am hoping that Senator Zuniga will keep to his word, as well as the vice president, and go back to the drawing board and come up with something else,

“Hopefully we can come up with something better, and more fair for our students,” she said.