The Student Senate elected Brandon Smith and Theresa Lobianco as its new senate speaker and speaker pro-tempore.
The Senate elected Smith and Lobianco after president-elect Brad Golson, vice president-elect Jenni Byrd and the new and returning senators were sworn in.
Golson, Byrd and all the senators swore to uphold the Student Government Bylaws and to perform their duties to the best of their abilities.
Former Senate Speaker Michael Busada led the Senate through the process of electing a new speaker and speaker pro-tempore.
Senate members nominated Smith, an Arts and Sciences Senator and spring 2004 candidate for SG president, and Bo Staples, a University College of Advise and Counseling senator, for the speaker position.
Smith and Staples spoke to the Student Senate about their qualifications and about what they would do if they were elected.
Busada said he could no longer fairly lead the process after Smith, who was chairman of the Senate’s Governmental Relations committee for the 2003-2004 legislative year, told the Senate his committee was one of the more active committees during the legislative session.
Despite former Michael Busada’s different opinion of the job Smith has done as chairman, Smith received 24 votes for speaker.
Staples received 18 votes. Three Senators did not vote.
“It feels absolutely humbling to receive the opportunity to serve as speaker in that capacity,” Smith said Thursday.
He said he will continue to do what he thinks is best for students.
Smith said he will not have a legislative package, but there are many ideas he would like to discuss during the legislative session.
He also said he has met with Golson and Byrd to discuss what could be done to make SG’s legislative and executive branches cohesive.
During Wednesday’s Senate meeting, Smith said he would create temporary committee appointments for the members of the Finance and Rules Committees.
Maurice Gipson will remain as chairman of the Finance Committee, but Ben Karr will serve as co-chairman of the temporary Finance Committee, he said. As speaker pro-tempore, Lobianco will be chairman of the SG Rules Committee, and Wainwright will serve as co-chairman until the end of this semester.
Wainwright, who is a graduating senior, said she will serve as co-chairman for one more week and then resign at the end of next week’s Senate meeting.
Wainwright said she has talked to Lobianco and will be with her at next week’s Rules Committee meeting.
She said she wanted to help Lobianco with the transition of the committee.
Smith and Lobianco will discuss other committee assignments, Smith said. He hopes to have the committees appointed before the end of this semester.
When voting for speaker pro-tempore, Senators nominated University College for Freshman Year Senators Benjamin Anderson and Chaz Caiado, and Education Senator Theresa Lobianco.
Lobianco received 27 Senate votes, Caiado received four votes, Anderson received eight votes and three Senators did not vote.
Lobianco said she is very excited about the results of the vote.
During the meeting, other Senate members said Lobianco has spent the last few months preparing herself for the position as speaker pro-tempore.
Lobianco said during those months she spent time talking to her Senate peers to get an idea of the qualifications she would need to be speaker pro-tempore.
She said her biggest passion is to try to get all the committees active.
“If we have active committees, then we have an active Senate,” Lobianco said.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the Senate elected Evan Bergeron as the new legislative secretary. Sheridan Fey will remain in her position as legislative assistant.
The Senate also passed a resolution to suggest that the state Legislature and the House and Senate Committees on Education look at the possibility of creating two non-voting, non-commissioned advisory positions for students who attend a state university.
The Senate also sent the proposed SG budget for the 2004-2005 fiscal year to the Finance Committee.