Student Government Association voted at Tuesday’s meeting to continue supporting rights of transgender students at WKU, present and future.

Resolution 7-18-F called for the “preservations of protections currently in place for transgender students, and to pledge to improve protections for transgender and non-conforming students in the future,” according to the resolution’s description.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee chair Mark Clark, who authored the resolution, said it comes in response to news based on a leak to The New York Times that the Trump administration is considering narrowly redefining gender and sex to just male and female.

“I wanted to write this bill to say that the students and faculty would continue to support transgender and non-conforming students regardless of any federal decisions,” Clark said.

Resolution 7-18-F passed with a 30-0 vote with no abstentions. Another resolution was passed as well. Resolution 8-18-F calls for the requirement of all new buildings on campus be constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, according to the resolution’s description. Resolution 8-18-F passed with a 29-0 vote.

SGA also voted on Bill 23-18-F,  which would amend three points in the Student Government bylaws allowing for “consistency in regard to the appointment of executive board members,” according to the bill’s description.

The points in question, 2.7.1., 2.8.1. and 2.9.1., stated “[Executive Board members will] be appointed by a consensus of the Executive Cabinet and approved by the Senate.”

Bill 23-18-F revises the points to include a Senate two-thirds majority vote in order to approve future nominees to the executive board.

“I thought the language on appointing new executive members was kind of vague,” said Sustainability Committee chair Jayden Thomas, who authored the bill. The bill passed with a 28-1 vote.

A bill allocating $17,900 from the SGA scholarship fund to pay for multiple scholarships was also passed.

SGA also approved multiple Organizational Aid bills at the meeting. Bill 20-18-F called for the allocation of $200 to the WKU Tennis Club, to cover costs for its attendance at a tournament in New Orleans.

The bill also allotted $200 to the WaterStep Club to fund a campus shoe drive and $350 for the Redshirts to rent out Van Meter Hall for a concert, with light and sound management.

Reporter Jack Dobbs can be reached at 270-745-0655 and [email protected].