The Student Senate spent the majority of a more than four-hour-long meeting Wednesday debating a single bill. The bill initially sought to require senators to attend their respective college council meetings. It appeared before the Senate during this past week’s session but failed to pass. After much debate, the bill was amended to state that senators could not remain in the Senate if removed from their college councils for any reason. Some of the debate centered around meeting times. Senators must balance classes and weekly Senate and Senate committee meetings. Many senators argued that requiring attendance to college council meetings – some of which do not meet on a regular schedule – put too much of a strain on an already stressful schedule. Others opposed the bill on the grounds that it gave too much power to the college councils, which can expel members with a two-thirds vote. The constitutionality of the bill was also brought into question, causing further contention. After hours of debate, the bill was withdrawn by its author, Andrew Palermo, University College Center for Freshman Year senator. During Public Input, District 14 Senate candidate Yvonne Dorsey spoke before the Student Senate. Currently a student in political science at the University, she is in her 14th year in the Louisiana House of Representatives. Dorsey and Jason DeCuir, a Baton Rouge attorney, are in a run-off for Senate District 14, which includes LSU, Southern University and Baton Rouge Community College. Dorsey spoke about her efforts in the House of Representatives toward ethics reform and charity hospital system improvements. When asked about her plans if elected, she said higher education is at the top of her list. “I think the biggest issue that we face with higher education is funding,” Dorsey said. “Whenever we have a budget crisis, higher ed and health care are on the chopping block.” Members of the Environmental Conservation Organization appeared before the Senate, thanking the body for its support during Bike Week. The Student Senate passed legislation to raise awareness about bicycle safety and senators have further plans work with ECO on campus transportation issues. Also brought before the Senate were revisions made to two Student Government governing documents: the Rules of Court and the Election Code. During Judicial Officer Reports, University Court Chief Justice Mark Hill reported on revisions to the Rules of Court. The Senate accepted the rule changes, the largest of which included new quorum specifications and the introduction of writs of certiorari. Writs of certiorari give the University Court discretion in deciding which trial court appeals it will hear. Drew Prestridge, College of Arts and Sciences senator and chair of the Temporary Election Code Revision Committee, presented Election Code changes to the Senate, which were sent to a committee for debate. The Senate meeting concluded with the resignation of two senators who cited schedule conflicts: Stephen Bergeron, College of Engineering senator, and Richard Guidry, Graduate School senator.
—Contact Daniel McBride at [email protected]