More than 50 students and city officials marched last night brandishing signs, stickers and T-shirts pleading with Ohio University Student Senate members to take a stance on Senate Bill 5.
The students used senate’s “Student Speakout” session to protest senate President Kyle Triplett’s decision to not include a resolution condemning the bill’s wording in the agenda for last night’s meeting.
Tyler Barton, a senior studying chemistry and a student organizer for We Are Ohio, led the march and kicked off the presentations to senate.
“They need to know the students do care about this and it does affect them,” Barton said.
We Are Ohio is an organization that opposes SB 5, a law passed in March. One of the bill’s provisions limits the collective-bargaining rights of public employees.
On Nov. 8, a referendum to repeal SB 5 will be on the ballot as Issue 2. If enough people vote “no,” the law will be repealed.
Triplett said he did not believe SB 5 directly affected students and that he wanted senate to take more time to consider the bill.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl and Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-92nd, who both said they oppose the bill, attended the event.
“This issue affects the city and the university,” Wiehl said. “It has obviously been going back and forth, and I want to see what the young minds have to say.”
More than 10 students spoke at the meeting.
"This is a smack in the face to all those people who work so hard to keep us safe on campus,” senior Carolyn Williamson said. “It’s not a political issue; it’s a quality-of-life-for-your-students issue.”
However, not everyone there was against Triplett’s decision.
Ryan Dilworth, a junior studying aviation management and the president of OU’s chapter of College Republicans, attended with four other chapter members, holding signs with messages such as “We stand with Triplett.”
College Republicans hasn’t taken a formal stance on SB 5, and Dilworth said he doesn’t think it is appropriate for senate to either.
“Students wouldn’t benefit from them taking a stance,” Dilworth said.
Dilworth said the best way for students to express their views about SB 5 is to vote on Issue 2 this November.
Nick Tuell, a junior studying political science and president of OU’s chapter of College Democrats, agreed that students should vote on Issue 2 but added that senate needs to take a stand on it as well.
“It’s important our student government takes a stance and is not a bystander and is not going to be silent,” he said.
State and Federal Affairs Commissioner Taylor Abbott, who drafted the original resolution, said he would put together a presentation for senate to explain SB 5 and plans to reintroduce the resolution for a vote.
“I think we got our message across to the senate that this is a very important issue,” he said. “I think it was a victory for us.”
“Student Senate fully supports and respects the faculty of this university, the staff members, the firefighters and policemen,” Triplett said. “We value them and respect their rights.”
tl674710@ohiou.edu
