There’s a new law in town.

After more than an hour of discussion, the Government of the Student Body received a new constitution Wednesday night. The new constitution was passed unanimously by a vote of 30 to 0.

Before the constitution was passed, a heated debate on specialty seats raised diversity issues that almost killed it. Several senators threatened to leave the meeting in an attempt to postpone its voting.

The constitution needed to be passed by a quorum, or two-thirds of all seated senators.

Ben Studenski, USAC, proposed an amendment that would strike the new constitution’s definition of specialty seats. Current seated specialty senators were angry about the proposal.

Yasmin Blackburn, off-campus, said she was tired of justifying the right for specialty seats to sit on the senate.

“I can sit down for an hour and a half and tell you why people deserve these specialty seats, but I don’t have to justify to a single person why I deserve to be on this campus,” Blackburn said.

Specialty seats include non-traditional students, students with disabilities, international students and American-ethnic minority students.

The senate could not vote on the amendment to eliminate specialty seats, because it violated a rule that states all amendments must be submitted by noon on Wednesday.

Jamey Hansen, a member of the Constitutional Convention, urged Studenski to withdraw the amendment in hopes the senate would pass the constitution as a whole.

“We will deal with the specialty seats at another time,” Hansen said.

Chris Wisher, TRA, said the senate should address the issue, despite the controversy it caused.

“We need to discuss [specialty seats] no matter what side you are on,” Wisher said.

Studenski explained his amendment to strike specialty seats was geared toward having special population students run for regular seats.

“My point is not to exclude people,” Studenski said.

The constitution was passed with the specialty seat clause intact after Studenski withdrew his amendment.

“I know it’s clear looking around the room that this constitution will not pass if the specialty seats are struck,” Studenski said.

Even though the constitution was passed, specialty-seat senators expressed outrage that the elimination of specialty seats was a topic of discussion.

“I think it’s extremely disrespectful to all the specialty-seat senators and all the people of Iowa State University,” said Christine Little, disabilities.

Jilene Hamill-Wilson, non-traditional, said many specialty seat senators had worked on the Constitutional Convention.

“We had specialty-seat people there,” Hamill-Wilson said. “I didn’t see hardly anyone here who was a senator at the time who showed up to a regular meeting.”

Blackburn said specialty seats are necessary to represent the interests of special populations, even though those students could be represented by their colleges or living areas.

“Most of the time off-campus and LAS do not represent me,” Blackburn said.

“It’s really important to have someone there who has my best interests at heart at all times,” Blackburn said.

Mike Pogge, LAS, said an opinion poll of students last year showed that ISU students supported specialty seats by a ratio of 3 to 1.

“Specialty seats are very necessary,” Pogge said. “They give representation to all students; that’s their goal.”

The new constitution will go next to the student body for a vote. Pogge said the vote will occur during the second school week in January.