LSU’s Student Body President Lavar Henderson issued his first veto of the semester this weekend to a piece of Student Senate legislation calling for the protection of student organizations on campus.
The resolution urged LSU President Wade Rousse and Executive Vice President and Chancellor Jim Dalton to “protect student organizations on campus, despite differences in views, opinions and goals.” It passed in the Senate unanimously.
In his veto letter sent to Speaker Ethan Elmer and Speaker Pro Tempore Tyhlar Holliway, Henderson offered three reasons for his veto. The first reason regarded the resolution’s language.
Earlier in the semester, Henderson had informed the Senate he would not sign any legislation with “politically-charged” language. Henderson claimed the resolution’s language “extends beyond the scope of the Student Government’s authority,” and that SG cannot dictate decisions from system-level executives.
He also noted how the resolution speaks about “outside government influence,” but he said he did not see clear examples listed in the legislation, prompting his veto.
Henderson mentioned federal funding in response to a compact the legislation asked Rousse and Dalton to reject if it prevents students from exercising their free speech.
The Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education is an agreement the Trump administration offered universities last month that placed guidelines on institutions’ admissions, tuition and more in exchange for funding. It most notably threatened spending cuts to universities that continued implementing diversity, equity and inclusion policies on campus.
“LSU is a state school that receives federal funding, much of which contributes to thousands of students’ financial aid. I cannot endorse something that would jeopardize that,” Henderson said in his letter.
According to Henderson, Rousse and Dalton both stated that they would thoroughly review the compact before signing if they decided it was in the students’ favor. Therefore he said he does not want to sign any legislation that is anticipatory or could pressure either administrators on a decision they have yet to consider.
“This preemptive action would put unnecessary pressure upon them both over something we have yet to see,” Henderson said.
However, Henderson told the Reveille he does not endorse the signing of the compact.
Sen. Carly Minor, the author of the resolution, said the legislation intends to preserve student organizations’ First Amendment rights. She told the Reveille Monday that she did not expect Henderson to veto the resolution.
“I really did my best to make sure language was politically neutral, so I was a little shocked when it was vetoed,” Minor said.
Henderson also critiqued the legislation for neglecting to show collaboration with a “wide range of organizations” in the writing process. Minor worked with Students for a Democratic Society and Feminists in Action while writing the legislation. A representative from each group joined Minor when she presented the resolution.
Since the Senate’s last meeting of the semester was last week, Senate leaders have scheduled a special veto override session for Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Henderson’s veto comes after the Senate questioned him earlier this month about his decision not to sign or veto certain pieces of legislation this semester he called “politically charged.”
The legislation focused on topics like a Charlie Kirk statue on campus, student involvement and transparency in the presidential search process and a call for the East Baton Rouge district attorney to drop all charges against the students arrested at a presidential search meeting earlier this semester.
He defended his choice to the Senate, saying he stood for all opinions on campus and that his position as the student member to the Board of Supervisors complicated his position in Student Government.
He cemented his stance on this in his veto letter.
“We are a voice for all students, not just a mouthpiece for some,” Henderson’s letter reads.
