A special session of the SGA Senate convened Thursday with the sole purpose of discussing another Student Organizational Seating Bill. 

SGA President Jared Hunter wrote an executive order repealing former SGA President Lillian Roth’s executive order on the same matter. The Senate’s Wednesday session featured a discussion of the new block seating bill, which heavily mirrored the old bill.

Quite simply, the bill codifies the block seating process. Chapter 1401 of the bill places the Board of Governors, the group that oversees the process, into the SGA Code of Laws. This portion ensures the BOG will be comprised of nine voting members and one non-voting member, in addition to four alternates who will serve if there is a vacancy. BOG members will be selected through a blind process “by separating each candidate’s subjective question answers from his or her activity list,” according to the bill.

Previously, Roth issued an executive order listing changes to the previous Senate’s block seating bill. One change Roth made was including a provision that would prevent members of The Machine from being on the BOG or participating in the block seating process. No such provision exists within the new bill.

Additionally, the bill lays out the seating-allocation process. GPA and presentation would be the chief determinants in the process, but organization packets with more information would be allowed for submission to the Board. 

After the first reading and discussion, the bill was sent to the Rules Committee. Currently, none of the committees have a chairperson, but those positions are expected to be voted on during Thursday’s regular Senate session.

Senator Bailey Martin, one of the bill’s authors and a sophomore majoring in international studies and political science said she is hopeful the bill will eventually pass.

“We did use last year’s bill as a template, and last year’s bill passed unanimously so hopefully everyone is in favor of this one,” she said.