For the second week in a row, students flooded Ohio University’s Student Senate meeting to persuade senate members to take a stance on Senate Bill 5.
Members of several student organizations attended senate’s “Student Speakout” session to ask senate to reconsider its decision not to vote on a resolution concerning the bill.
“Please stop delaying and distracting and bring this to a vote. … Faculty Senate did not have a problem passing a resolution,” said Tyler Barton, a senior studying chemistry, a student organizer for We Are Ohio and leader of last week’s demonstration.
We Are Ohio is an organization that opposes SB 5, a controversial law passed in March. One of its provisions weakens collective bargaining for public employees.
“It’s going to affect each and every one of us every single day,” said Nick Tuell, president of College Democrats. “For Faculty Senate to come out against this and for us to remain silent is bogus.”
Student Senate President Kyle Triplett said last week that he wanted senate to take more time to learn about the bill and that he believed it was more appropriate for Faculty and Classified senates to address SB 5.
As with last week, members of OU’s chapter of College Republicans attended the meeting. President Ryan Dilworth said the protests were “ridiculous” and were wasting senate’s time.
Dilworth also mentioned that senate took a stance after the city of Athens instituted a noise ordinance in the spring.
“Students did not have the chance to voice their opinion (then),” he said, “but students will have a chance to voice their opinion on Issue 2 on Nov. 8, when they are able to vote.”
Issue 2 is a referendum to repeal SB 5. If enough people vote “no,” the law will be repealed.
Sophomore Dylan Gustafon, who spoke after Dilworth, agreed.
“For those who believe (senate) needs to take a stance on Issue 2, why not take a stance on all the issues on the ballot?” he said. “While you’re at it, why not endorse a candidate for mayor of Athens? Doesn’t that affect OU students as well?”
Students also reminded senate of implications SB 5 could have for the campus.
“I think it’s fair to say that higher education is important to all of us and that teachers have shaped our lives thus far,” junior Marika Bresler said. “We owe it to our professors to show them we support them.”
After the Student Speakout, senate members Shannon Welch, Tuell and Taylor Abbott, who initially drafted the resolution, presented a summary of SB 5 to senate and the official arguments regarding the bill from both political parties.
“The resolution was meant entirely to target the language that affects the employees at this university,” Abbott said. “We are not formally taking a stance as senate on this issue but saying we disagree with the wording.”
Student Senate Treasurer Chris Wimsatt said senate needs to reconsider what a resolution regarding SB 5 would say.
“I think we now need to open up our scope on what we are going to address (in the resolution),” he said.
Senate members will continue to seek student opinions on whether they should vote on an SB 5 resolution, Vice President Roger Jones said.
“If students don’t want us to take a stance, we won’t take a stance,” Jones said. “It’s not going to be based on politics or partisan issues.”
tl674710@ohiou.edu
