On Tuesday, the Mississippi State University Student Association Senate met to discuss one bill and two resolutions. 
 
Bill 2
The revised version of Bill 2 was brought before the Senate by Senator Kenneth Newton. Bill 2 deals with special elections including referenda, campaigning and referenda elections. The bill passed unanimously among the 36 senators present.
 
According to the document, the bill’s passing means all referenda can now only appear on one of three election ballots, including the SA fall election ballot, Homecoming elections or SA Spring elections.  Prior to this, a referendum could be voted on at any time of the year if called.
 
Halston Hales, vice president and presiding officer of SA Senate, said another feature of the bill is the rules of how referenda are to appear on the ballot. A referenda can be brought for a student vote if one of three criterion are met: the SA President grants a referendum, the SA Senate passes a referendum to be placed on a ballot by a two-thirds vote or by a petition of 15 percent of the student body. Students for a Sustainable Campus used the third option to have the Green Fee Initiative appear on the ballot.
 
“I know our specific constitution did not have any specifications on the rules for referenda…before, there was no clear understanding on what was needed to accomplish referenda,” Hales said.
 
He said he recognized there are areas where the bill could be improved to specify whether a referendum could only exhaust one, two or all three options before appearing on a ballot.
 
“Tonight, yes we passed Bill 2, and I think it improves chapter 401 dealing with Constitutional and non-constitutional referenda,” Hales said. “Do I think it can be improved? Yes, I think there are some things that can be added to it, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
 
Resolution 11
Resolution 11 was the next topic of discussion, which Hales said serves to recognize and congratulate the Society of American Foresters at Mississippi State University for being named the best student SAF chapter in the nation.  The Society of American Foresters competed against 75 chapters nationally for this recognition.
 
“This is indicative of our forestry department in general. This is the Senate expressing its appreciation,” Hales said.
 
The Resolution 11 motion passed with all in favor.
 
 
 
 
 
Resolution 12
Resolution 12 expresses the interest held by SA Senate in MSU’s academic forgiveness policy to consider changes to the current hour limitations.
“It would be a change of eight to nine hours,” Halston Hales, SA vice president, said.
Nikki Robinson, senator and author of Resolution 12, said the proposal would allow for up to three courses without labs or two courses with labs to be retaken for academic forgiveness.
The majority of schools in the Southeastern Conference allow their students to retake three or more classes for academic forgiveness, she said.
“(Resolution 12) refers to academic forgiveness in preparation for a professional environment,” Hales said. “The wording can be amended if the words ‘professional environment’ needs to be removed.”
Resolution 12 was referred to the Academic Affairs committee to rework the fifth clause for reconsideration on Nov. 29.
 
Officer Report
Halston Hales, SA vice president, said he commended the senate on the work it put in for Bulldog Bash.
“Bulldog Bash was an amazing success. There were several of you who made it and spent hours helping setting up stages and picking up trash,” he said.  “That was the smoothest Bulldog Bash I’ve seen as far as execution.”
Hales said the Reveille is returning and a staff will soon be made to get started.
He said he encourages any student with concerns to write to his or her senators.
For more information on SA Senate meetings, minutes and legislation, visit sa.msstate.edu.