Student government leaders heard new legislation that would eliminate the requirement for the Student Judiciary to record closed sessions Sunday.
Although the council typically meets Wednesday, they held a special session to catch up on agenda items it did not have time to address at the last two meetings.
Student Judiciary Chief Justice Kathryn Fifield said recording closed sessions could inhibit justices from expressing their true opinions on cases brought to the SJ.
""Closed sessions have a purpose in governments, and that is to facilitate frank discussion, candid discussion that produces the best results possible in terms of making decisions,"" Fifield said.
Fifield also said she feared if the sessions were recorded, students could try to get justices impeached if they do not agree with opinions expressed in closed session.
Also at the meeting, the council passed legislation allowing students access to e-mails sent between committees of student council on the listserv.
Associated Students of Madison Rep. Tom Templeton, who introduced the legislation, said students had access to information sent in the e-mails in the past, but the legislation makes the process for obtaining the information simpler.
Student Services Finance Committee Chair Sarah Neibart said while chairs of committees should not deny students access to the e-mails legislation mandating it was unnecessary.
The council also discussed cancelling this Wednesday's meeting for Rosh Hashanah.
Neibart, who said she will be honoring the holiday and missing the meeting, said the council should cancel the meeting to respect Jewish students on council who want to observe the holiday.
But Fifield said canceling the meeting would violate the separation of church and state.
""To cancel Wednesday's meeting when there are a lot of diverse religious beliefs involved I feel would be against the spirit of how governments in the U.S. operates,"" Fifield said.
ASM Chair Allie Gardner will decide whether or not to hold Wednesday's meeting and inform the council. ASM representatives who miss the meeting for religious purposes will not be penalized.
On a similar note, Neibart said she was unhappy the council scheduled the meeting on a Sunday.
""I'm extremely uncomfortable that this meeting was on a Sunday,"" Neibart said. ""I think that just shows that we're not honoring days of rest.""
