The LSU Student Senate adjourned its Wednesday body meeting early due to a loss of quorum, which prevented the body from completing its scheduled business.

According to Speaker Pro Tempore Ethan Elmer, a computer science junior, the meeting began with 53 senators, surpassing the quorum threshold of 48. However, as the session progressed, several senators left, reducing the attendance below the necessary quorum.

“For whatever reason, several senators had to leave during the meeting, and as a result, we lost quorum,” Elmer said. “Our code states that in this case, we cannot conduct business officially.”

The Senate was unable to regain quorum and had no option but to adjourn. Elmer noted that in past meetings, they were sometimes able to call senators back to restore quorum, but this wasn’t possible during the session. As a result, Senator Corbitt Driskell, an accounting and economics senior,  proposed a motion to recess indefinitely.

“We have a quorum number based on the number of available Senate seats this session. We did not have enough sitting senators present to conduct business,” said Speaker Lailah Williams, a political science and international studies senior,  addressing the situation.

Williams explained that the quorum number for the Senate depends on how many total seats are available during that session.

In this case, there are 93 total seats, and the quorum is calculated as half of that number, which is 47.5 (rounded up to 48). Since they only had 47 senators present, the body didn’t meet the required quorum to proceed with the meeting.

Among the bills delayed was SGR 8, a resolution by Senator Tyhlar Holliway, an English and political science sophomore, calling on LSU to formally recognize the work of custodial staff by establishing a Custodian Appreciation Week.

Another delayed bill, SGB 2 by Senator Jayden Bates, proposed the installation of tire inflation pumps on campus, with an estimated cost of $10,000, supported in part by Parking and Transportation Services.

All agenda items from the meeting’s “unfinished business” will be moved to next week’s session for consideration.