PHILLIP WALLER | The Daily Mississippian
Associated Student Body senators discuss a bill to limit the number of open campaigners allowed on campus for campus campaigns Nov. 12, 2013.
Associated Student Body Attorney General Rob Pillow is “exploring all other avenues” to pass an amendment which was killed by the ASB Senate last Tuesday regarding student election campaigning on campus.
The ASB Senate killed the proposed amendment which would allow only 20 campaigners per candidate at the Union Plaza, 15 in the Circle and five in front of Fulton Chapel. The bill, which Pillow thought would help increase voter turnout and decrease student annoyance complaints, was killed by a vote of 25-19-9.
“I wish (the Senate) could have been a little more open to what we were trying to pass,” Pillow said. “It was obvious when I came in that many senators weren’t supportive of this. There were clearly some that were very rigid and unwilling to see both sides. I think the majority of their constituents, the student body, would have supported this bill.”
Pillow, alongside ASB Senators Rod Bridges, Austin Dean and James Parrett, presented the bill after Pillow received “numerous complaints” following this fall’s personality elections.
Pillow and the other authors answered questions from concerned senators during the meeting. Many senators argued that the proposed campaign limits would limit free speech.
“That’s never what this bill was about,” Pillow said. “I think free speech is breached when campaigners corner or surround students as they are walking to their classes. In local, state and national campaigns, you can’t just force something on people as they are walking to work. That’s what we are trying to avoid here with this amendment.”
Pillow is looking into changing specifics in the bill in hopes that he can re-present it to the Senate before the end of the semester. Thursday afternoon, Pillow met with ASB Senator Cody Smith, one of the senators who voted against the amendment, to discuss other alternatives to passing the amendment.
According to ASB Vice President and ASB Senate President Morgan Gregory, the last chance for a bill to pass this semester is Dec 3.
“I am hopeful it can be done before the end of the semester,” Pillow said. “What I will not do is make a last-minute change and throw off spring elections for those candidates.”
Pillow encourages students to contact their senators, who are listed on the ASB Senate website, and voice their opinions on the issue.
-Adam Ganucheau
dmeditor@gmail.com
