The Mississippi State University Student Association Senate met to discuss three pieces of legislation, only two of which passed, on Oct. 30.
First, Act 5 appropriated funds for various groups and events on MSU’s campus. Some highlights for largest appropriations went toward the LGBTQ+ Union’s Halloween Disco and Movie Showing, the American Institute for Chemical Engineer’s Southern Regional Conference, and Speech and Debate Club’s State Debates.
Resolution 6 expressed student support for the idea of a class waiting list. The class waiting list would notify students wishing to take a specific class if a seat in the class in question becomes available. An SA poll found 90.9 percent of the 7,651 students questioned wanted a waiting list system to be instituted by MSU, and other schools within the Southeastern Conference already utilize similar systems. Both Resolution 6 and Act 5 passed by voice vote.
Bill 3 attempted to further penalize senators for missing office hours by weighing a senator’s missed office hour the same as a missed Senate meeting. Senators are allowed three total Senate meeting absences before their standing as a senator comes into jeopardy, at which time the Senate votes whether to impeach the culpable senator.
Currently, the SA Constitution holds three missed office hours equal to one missed Senate meeting. Bill 3 was contentiously discussed on the Senate floor, with some senators arguing office hours are already an inefficient use of time.
Eventually, the bill was put to a roll call vote and, by a majority, failed to pass. The situation echoes Bill 21 from Oct. 31 of the previous year, which would have instituted a similar reform but was also failed. Bills last Senate term coalesced into the current system of three office absences to one Senate absence.
Senator Josh McCoy, the author of Bill 3, was absent to argue in favor of his legislation, due to his presence being needed at State Debates, but McCoy said he intends to present a similar bill to Bill 3 in an upcoming meeting.