OUR OPINION: Not fast-tracking the bill hides the Senate’s debate on the issue and does nothing to assure worried students that something will be done.The Student Senate elected not to fast-track the Free Expression Tunnel Hate Crime Act Wednesday night, which urged the University to seek disciplinary action against the students responsible for writing intimidating threats on the Free Expression Tunnel. The Senate had no reason not to fast-track the legislation — it would have forced a timely, rational debate on the incident and pressured the administration to take action while media outlets across the state are watching.Per the Senate rules, a senator can fast-track legislation, meaning a bill can receive the two required readings at the same meeting. This is designed to force debate on important legislation on breaking matters and does not mean the bill cannot be amended or struck down.Bills that are not fast-tracked are to be placed on the calendar for a second reading “for a meeting no more than four weeks following the committee’s authorization of the report.”This is a step backwards — today was an opportunity for the Senate to take a stand in front of television cameras, come out with a strong response to the incident and pressure administrators to take substantive action regarding the matter.Instead, by not fast-tracking the bill, the Senate chose to bury the discussion into a committee, away from the students who are worried about their safety who stood outside the doors of the Senate chamber and spoke to the legislative body in the opening minutes about their concerns.Not fast-tracking the bill is the wrong thing to do. The Senate had an opportunity to have a calm, spirited discussion about the incident in the Free Expression Tunnel. Fast-tracking legislation is not the same as voting on or preventing any further changes to the bill.What fast-tracking the Hate Crime Act would have done is given concerned students who went to the Senate meeting and those outside of the University who saw the incident in the Free Expression Tunnel as an indication of what N.C. State students think a sense of official action.Instead, the Student Senate went through the motions of business, buried the debate on the legislation regarding the threatening remarks written on the Free Expression Tunnel and got to the important business after some of the television cameras left.Now, the Senate will discuss the issue in a select committee, which will meet at some later time without the notice and attention of Wednesday’s Senate meeting, and students may never know what the committee members may discuss.The Senate has failed students. It should reconsider its actions.