Debate around legislation creating a student advisory board with the Wichita State Police Department turned to discussions on the culture of the Student Senate on Wednesday. 

The bill on the floor, Student Senate Bill 68-165, is aimed at creating an advisory board made up of various students, faculty and staff to advocate to campus police. Sen. Jamie Winslow, the author of the bill, collaborated with campus police Chief Guy Schroeder to write the legislation.

The bill passed with 21 senators in favor, one against and four abstaining. 

The board will meet twice a semester with the goal of keeping clearer connections between WSUPD, students and the surrounding community. 

Disagreement over board makeup leads to discussion of senate culture

The legislation was first introduced at the April 1 senate meeting. During the first read of legislation, senators are able to ask questions but can’t take any actions like amending or passing it. 

At the April 8 meeting, Winslow spoke during the senate floor speeches. This time is meant for senators to address the senate or student body. 

“Let me start out by saying I am extremely frustrated,” Winslow said. “I am frustrated with two things specifically. First, the content of questions during my presentation of SB-68-165… Second, the lack of help, input, collaboration and effort of other senators with this legislation over the past week.” 

Winslow then said that of the eight questions asked at the April 1 meeting, half were repeat questions. The four repeat questions he was referring to had to do with the section of the bill relating to the majors of students allowed on the board. 

“What a waste of time and energy that was,” Winslow said. 

Winslow said he felt that the questions weren’t seeking clarification but instead senators were just wishing to amend the bill, so he sent out a message to the senate afterward asking for input. Only one senator responded, he said. 

At the April 15 meeting, the bill had its second read, meaning there was a second questioning process, a debate process including the ability to amend or change certain aspects of the bill and a vote. 

After a motion from Winslow to clear up some grammatical errors and words of affirmation from various senators, Sen. Braeden Miller motioned to table the legislation indefinitely, meaning the legislation couldn’t be brought back up during the current session but could in a later session. 

“There’s been a lot of conversation about people reaching out over this piece of legislation, but I don’t feel as though the author of this legislation has given it the room to be amended,” Miller said. 

Miller explained that some of the questions at the first read were requests to make adjustments, but Winslow was “unbudging on making those amendments.” Miller also said that there were suggestions within the Student Services Committee that were not taken into consideration. 

Authors of legislation are able to accept or reject informal suggestions to their legislation. During senate meetings, senators can motion to make changes to the legislation. Those changes are decided by a vote of the senate, not by a decision of the author. 

“I also feel as though some of the conversations that happened during last senate meeting was quite frankly somewhat hostile,” Miller said. “I don’t think that is an energy that we should be bringing to senate.” 

Speaker of the Student Senate Matthew Phan said that the legislation “stands on its own” separate from actions of its author. 

“If … senators feel like changes should be made, they should make the amendments,” Phan said. “… I don’t believe that tabling indefinitely just because of not feeling comfortable making amendments or some of the environment around it is enough to table the legislation indefinitely.” 

Sen. Andrew Hatch also spoke in negation of Miller’s motion, pointing out that senators have the ability to make amendments during the debate period. 

“We are here to pass legislation that will improve the student experience,” Hatch said. “I think that this legislation as it stands can do that.” 

Sen. Josh Mallard also spoke in negation of the motion, while Sen. Ismael Saeed and Sen. Erin Tims spoke in affirmation of Miller’s motion. 

“The purpose of senate is that we work together, and that we’re open to criticism, and that we’re open to feedback, and a lot of the feedback that was presented was shut down,” Saeed said. “… The broader intention of (the motion) — and this is just in defense of Sen. Miller’s argument — is just that it doesn’t truly reflect the wishes of the student body.” 

“I don’t think this motion was made maliciously,” Tims said. “I think it was made to be constructive. Personally I think that a UPD advisory board would be beneficial on campus — I’ve never said otherwise — I just think that given some of those discussions we’ve had in committee, some of the discussions I’ve had with the sponsor of this legislation and with of senators, it could use a little more time and a little more editing.” 

Phan then ended the debate period and Miller’s motion to table the bill indefinitely failed with five in favor, 16 against and five abstentions. 

Following one approved amendment by Sen. Adán Parker that changed language on the reason for the board, a motion from Sen. TeRay Boyd to make a small language change that failed to have a second, and words of affirmation from various senators, the bill passed. 

Each motion that is made in senate meetings requires a second senator to back the motion in order for voting to occur. 

Wichita State’s Student Senate meets every Wednesday during the academic year at 7:30 p.m. in the Rhatigan Student Center, room 233, and live streamed on SGA’s YouTube. The current session has one more meeting left on April 22, and the next session begins the week following.