Despite dissent from student organizations and members of Student Senate, Ohio University Student Senate President Kyle Triplett declined to add a bill to tonight’s agenda that would raise student concerns about Senate Bill 5.
Several OU student organizations have protested the bill since it was signed into law in March. On Nov. 8, Issue 2, a referendum to repeal the bill will be on the ballot, and student organizations such as We Are Ohio are revisiting their dissent for the bill that limits public workers’ collective bargaining rights.
Although State and Federal Affairs Commissioner Taylor Abbott drafted a Student Senate resolution saying senate disagreed with the wording of the bill, Triplett said he did not think SB 5 was an appropriate topic for senate to address.
“The opinion of the Student Senate executives is that it’s not Student Senate’s role to get involved in issues that are purely political,” Triplett said. “Looking at past Student Senates, when we’ve gotten involved in things involving state legislation, it was typically only things that dealt with tuition, fees, things dealing with students directly.”
Triplett spoke with Abbott about the resolution Sunday and said he decided not to include it on tonight’s agenda for discussion or a vote because he does not believe it directly affects students.
“In no way, shape or form is this a political issue for us,” Triplett said. “We’re just trying to do what’s best for students.”
He added that he believes senate needs to take more time before taking a stance on SB 5.
“Just because Student Senate isn’t taking on an issue doesn’t prevent individual students from going to the polls and voting on this issue,” Triplett said. “That would be more efficient.”
However, Abbott said he believed some members of senate are hesitant to formally state their views about SB 5.
“I think some of our voting members are scared of repercussions,” he said. “They don’t want to touch this. This is something that does carry weight and it does have meaning, and I’m not sure if they’re prepared for that.”
‘It wouldn’t be a concern for the administration’
Student Senate is not the first OU legislative body to consider addressing SB 5. In the spring, Faculty Senate passed a resolution opposing the bill.
The Inter-University Council, which represents the public universities in Ohio, had sent Gov. John Kasich a letter supporting greater flexibility for administrators at universities, after which OU President Roderick McDavis said that he was “not opposed” to SB 5.
Faculty Senate then passed a resolution in opposition to SB 5 that asked McDavis and the Inter-University Council to publicly denounce the bill.
McDavis still has not publicly taken a stance on the bill, said Becky Watts, McDavis’ chief of staff.
Triplett said he did not want Student Senate to send a message to the state government about students’ response to the bill.
“We didn’t want to be projecting as the student voice one side or the other to Columbus that could potentially say we supported or didn’t support the bill,” Triplett said.
He added that he did not want a senate resolution opposing SB 5 to cause friction between senate and OU’s administration.
However, administrators said a Student Senate resolution about SB 5 would not reflect badly on the student body.
“If any part or body in the shared governance system here takes a stand on a state legislative issue, that’s evidence they’re staying active and involved and paying attention,” Watts said. “The discussion, input and debate on different topics, that’s how it works. It wouldn’t be a concern for the administration if the resolution would move forward.”
‘I don’t want only two firefighters’
Members of several student organizations, in addition to student senators, said they do want to present a student response to SB 5, because they believe it directly affects students.
Abbott expressed concerns that in addition to potentially limiting professors’ bargaining rights, SB 5 could negatively affect dining hall workers and custodians.
Nick Tuell, a junior studying political science and president of OU’s chapter of College Democrats, also said he believes SB 5 directly affects students.
A loss of collective bargaining rights could lead to fewer firefighters and police officers in Athens, Tuell said.
“I don’t want only two firefighters going into a burning Bromley Hall,” he said.
Ryan Dilworth, president of OU’s chapter of College Republicans, could not be reached for comment.
Members of We Are Ohio, an organization dedicated to repealing SB 5, said that senate’s hesitation to pass a resolution addressing the bill goes against the organization’s commitment to represent students.
“(SB5) is hugely important to students, because at a public university, this could potentially affect every realm of our experience at the university — OUPD, firefighters, people who clean and cook food,” said Tyler Barton, a senior studying chemistry and a student organizer for We Are Ohio. “Another issue has emerged — the issue of Student Senate relevance to students and whether or not they’re actually doing their job as a student advocacy organization.”
