The Mississippi State University Student Association Senate passed a resolution last Tuesday calling on state leaders to address the effects of Mississippi House Bill 1193, a law that restricts diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public institutions.

An interpretation of the law led MSU to halt all appropriation funding for student organizations this semester, a move the Student Association says has severely disrupted campus programming and student engagement. 

In a letter approved on Oct. 28 and addressed to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hoseman, House Speaker Jason White, other state leaders and members of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, the Student Association urged lawmakers to reconsider how the law applies to student organization funds.

“It has been determined that the student activity fee of $25 collected from every student constitutes state money,” the letter reads. “…Because of this interpretation of H.B. 1193, our Student Association has been barred from dispersing these funds to registered student organizations.”

The letter states that more than 80 student organizations received about $47,000 in Student Association funding last September for programming. The letter includes examples of the Arnold Air Society’s POW/MIA Service Walk and Bully’s Pantry food insecurity initiatives.

“This loss of programming has the capability to seriously harm student experience on campus,” the letter continues. “We believe that the cessation of all student organization funding was not the intent of H.B. 1193, and we hope to discuss a solution to this issue with you further.”

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senator Spencer Sanderson, who was recently appointed as the Student Association’s appropriations chair, authored and defended the resolution. 

The Senate first discussed the resolution on Oct. 14 but tabled it after extended debate over potential political repercussions. Several senators raised questions about whether the letter could be perceived as challenging the law, potentially drawing negative publicity to the university.

Several senators urged caution, suggesting the document should be reviewed by the MSU administration before being sent to state leaders. Others asked whether the letter could inadvertently lead to further restrictions or force MSU to “pick and choose” which organizations receive funding — something senators feared could disadvantage certain student groups.

Speaker of the Senate Alice Ann Haab mentioned that she was worried about how the letter might be perceived by lawmakers beyond Mississippi, in light of the U.S. Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague” Letter that targets DEI programs in higher education.

“I don’t want to get ourselves in a situation…that just puts a target on our back at the federal level,” Haab said at the Oct. 14 meeting.

Sanderson said those worries would prompt him to seek input from university administration.

“I’d be open to sitting down with Dr. Keenum or anyone higher up before we move forward,” Sanderson said. “I understand the apprehension. We want to cover ourselves and make sure this doesn’t backfire.”

The Senate tabled the bill after members suggested waiting to coordinate with the Office of Student Affairs and explore collaboration with other universities’ student governments.

In the weeks following the initial debate, Sanderson met with MSU President Mark Keenum, Chief of Staff and Director of Government Relations Lee Weiskopf, Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Jackie Mullen, who also works as an advisor for the Student Association, as well as Student Association President Cameron Cummings and Treasurer Mary Walker Foster to refine the letter’s language.

“It was a very productive meeting,” Sanderson said. “Dr. Weiskopf and Dr. Hyatt were both in support of what we’re doing. The only suggestion was to specify that the funding loss resulted from an interpretation of the bill, not from the law itself.”

The final resolution incorporated those changes and combined what were originally two separate letters — one to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and one to the IHL Board of Trustees — into a single document that goes out to several state officials.

“Student organizations are a vital part of campus life,” the letter states, “and your leadership on this matter would safeguard the opportunities for thousands of students to grow socially and professionally through involvement on campus.”

The resolution passed 38-2, with four present, authorizing the letter to be sent within 48 hours of approval. 

The Oct. 14 meeting also saw the Senate approve amendments clarifying parts of the Student Association Constitution that had become points of confusion during September’s impeachment controversy.

Authored by College of Education Senator Jacob Rose, who serves as the Senate’s oversight chair, the amendments restored the position of parliamentarian, now appointed by the vice president as a non-voting member of the Senate, and clarified that cabinet members’ terms end when the president’s elected term, not tenure in office.

“These changes help prevent confusion during future hearings or leadership transitions,” Rose said.

In previous years, a senator was elected to serve as the parliamentarian. This role was later removed after senators concluded it was ineffective.

Political Organizations Senator Tanner Marlow said bringing the position back was essential for ensuring order.

“I think that the parliamentarian role is absolutely necessary, as we can see in our functionality as a body,” Marlow said.

Another key change clarified the term limits for cabinet members, which had become a point of confusion during the pre-impeachment hearing. Previously, the constitution stated that cabinet members would serve “the term of the SA President who appointed them,” a phrasing some senators worried could force nearly one-third of the Student Association to be replaced if President Cameron Cummings were removed from office. 

The new language specifies that each cabinet member’s term “shall be limited to the term of the SA President who appointed them,” restoring the original intent that a cabinet’s service ends when the president’s elected term does.