UF student senators voted against a bill Tuesday night that would have reduced the number of Student Body Cabinet positions by 30 members.
The current model, which allows 36 Cabinet directors and secretaries to govern areas such as Greek affairs, technology and housing, is inefficient, said Sen. Mark McShera, the bill's sponsor, in a telephone interview Wednesday.
The Tuesday meeting lasted four hours and was not over by press time.
McShera's bill aimed to streamline the Cabinet by cutting the number of members to just six secretaries, a move that would make the roles of membE#ers more clear, he said. He said he was not surprised by the disapproving vote, but he intends to revise the bill to appease dissenters.
"I think it's just disappointing because this was the fresh air that the Cabinet needed to best serve the Student Body," McShera said.
Senate President Kellie Dale said in a telephone interview that she voted against the bill because she didn't think enough research went into the proposed shuffle.
She said she was disappointed that Vanessa Goodwin, Student Body vice president, and Yooni Yi, incoming Student Body vice president, were not consulted about such a big change in Cabinet.
"I think the intentions were good," Dale said. "But I don't think it was the most effective way to restructure Cabinet."
Senators also approved a recommendation for Eric Wolf, an Orange and Blue Party senator, to replace a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee seat was left vacant by former Sen. Sheldon Nagesh, who resigned last week after controversy over whether he could represent his district.
Wolf could not be reached for comment. His appointment brings the number of Orange and Blue Party senators on a committee to two. The other is Sen. Ben Cavataro, the Orange and Blue Party leader who sits on the Replacement and Agenda Committee. Cavataro earned his committee spot as the leader of the Senate's minority party.
"We're still underrepresented, but I'm not complaining because at least we have him," Cavataro said in a phone interview, referring to Wolf.
The senators also passed a resolution to honor Carmen Peterson, a UF student who was killed in a bicycle accident last week.
