The Student Government Association passed a resolution to cancel class on election day in a unanimous vote at Tuesday’s meeting. The SGA will take the resolution to the WKU administration for consideration.

In 2016, 290,000 students registered to vote in Kentucky. Of those, only 13 percent, or about 38,000, actually voted, according to WKU student Francis Wilson. Believing this had to be changed, Wilson decided to appeal to SGA for help.

Wilson is a member of Reg 2 Vote, a national get-out-the-vote campaign that seeks to increase voter registration and turnout among college students. At the SGA meeting on Sept. 18, Wilson presented a bill that would hopefully aid in this effort.

Bill 7-18-F advocates for classes being cancelled on the Hill Nov. 6 for Midterm elections.

“What we’re asking you to support is the cancellation of class,” Wilson said. “We’re students, and we need access to the polls.”

Wilson presented two pieces of legislation pertaining to Reg 2 Vote. Bill 7-18-F and Resolution 5-18-F. While both of these items deal with Reg 2 Vote programs, Bill 7-18-F calls for the allocation of funds to Reg 2 Vote, the resolution means that SGA will suggest cancelling class to the Board of Regents.

Wilson also asked the SGA Executive Board for a donation of $300, for shirts, posters and buttons as outlined in Bill 7-18-F. The bill was approved by a unanimous 15-0 vote.

Resolution 5-18-F was also approved, again by a unanimous 15-0 vote.

A second set of Senate Resolutions, 1-18-F and 2-18-F, were also brought up. The author of these pieces of legislation, James Baughm, introduced these resolutions at the SGA meeting on September 11, and were revisited a week later for discussion and voting.

Resolution 1-18-F and Resolution 2-18-F work hand-in-hand. One suggests removing the clause in the WKU Student Code of Conduct which states,“students cannot refuse to comply with a direction request or order from a university official.”

The other line from WKU Student Code of Conduct Baughm said he wants to remove involves a ban on audio recording during student-faculty meetings.

“I think that it is something the Student Government should stand up for,” Baughm said.

The Resolutions were both voted on, and were both approved in a 14-0 vote. Now that the Resolution has passed the Student Senate, it must go before the Board of Regents.

Baughm also stated that he is working with the Faculty Senate on the same issue.

Student Body President Stephen Mayer additionally appointed Alex Rivera as the new candidate for the position of Associate Justice for the Judicial Council. At the Sept. 11 meeting, Mayer’s initial nomination failed in a vote.

Rivera was confirmed in a 12-3 vote, and sworn in during the Judicial Council’s Report.

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