Student Senate passes a resolution to form judicial panel

Members of Student Senate passed a resolution Wednesday that proposed a constitutional amendment to create a judicial panel of nine justices with the purpose of eliminating potential bias within the group.The Senate discussed and tabled the resolution at its previous two meetings before passing it with a vote of 46 to 1, with two people abstaining.  “This is important to pass tonight because it has the constitutional amendment, which makes things permanent and official,” Treasurer Hannah Clouser said before the body voted.The panel this constitutional amendment creates will take on some of the responsibilities that the Board of Elections, Conduct and Discipline Committee and Rules and Procedures Committee currently hold.“If this does pass, it will probably be one of the most impactful things that the Senate body has done,” Vice President Jared Ohnsman said.In addition, the Senate voted to pass a resolution in support of student trustee voting rights, an issue Senate discussed at the beginning of the semester.Sponsor of the resolution and College of Health Sciences and Professions Senator Courteney Muhl said the resolution is “part of a unified movement by student governments at every public institution in Ohio.”President Gabby Bacha also addressed issues happening in residence halls where fliers in support for Republican presidential candidates had been torn down. She encouraged the body to tell people to have conversations about controversial issues rather than censor each other.Bacha reminded the body that campaigning for the upcoming Senate election within the Senate Office is prohibited.She then gave some feedback from Senate members who attended the American Student Government Association conference.“When it comes it comes to student government and leadership, we are leading,” Bacha said. “We’re doing big things and other people want to do them. That’s a big deal.” Clouser, who attended the conference, agreed with Bacha and said that Senate was making big changes and is ahead of the game.