Student Senate will hear a resolution to support a House Bill that would make it possible for Student Trustees to vote and attend executive sessions at Board of Trustees meetings.
The bill, named House Bill 183, would grant Ohio’s public universities the opportunity to allow student trustees to attend executive sessions and vote in Board of Trustees meetings. OU’s student trustees are able to attend executive sessions, but don’t have voting power.
On Wednesday, Senate will vote on a resolution that encourages the passage of the bill so that students can have "input on all decisions and actions that will affect the welfare of the student body," according to the resolution.
“This is a mandate, sort of, from the Ohio Student Government Association trying to get all student government associations to pass a resolution of support in their senates,” Landen Lama, senate’s lead parliamentarian, said of the resolution. “We’ll compile the list of 14 universities and give that to the committee that’s hearing the bill.”
The bill was originally introduced in 2012, Lama said.
“We do think it has more steam now, so it might be voted on by the end of session later in the year,” he said. “Then it would go to the Senate of course. Last session it did pass the Senate but didn’t make it back to the House.”
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, senate will revisit a resolution to establish a judicial panel. The resolution was tabled at the body’s Feb. 24 meeting and was assessed by a small group that determined no changes should be made to the proposal, according to a previous Post report.
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The judicial panel would replace senate’s Board of Elections, Conduct and Discipline Committee and Rules and Procedures Committee with nine judges external to the senate body.
“I’m really exited to finally see what happens to it,” Patton College senator Nicole Kromalic said. “I think it will be a good new resource for us because with Conduct and Discipline and Rules and Procedures, they’re great right now, but there are some flaws.”
A passive campaign period for senate candidates begins Thursday, but Noah Hajivandi, environmental affairs vice-commissioner, said he isn’t concerned that the election will impact the body’s productivity.
“I think we’ve been stressing all year that we need to focus on this year and not next year, so I think that it won’t affect us as much,” Kromalic said. “People will be busy I’m sure, but I think there will still be a lot going forward this semester.”
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@mayganbeeler
