Student Senate passed a resolution on Monday in support of the Fall Legislative Priority Summary.

The legislative priority summary is a “comprehensive documentation of the issues and policies at the local, county, and state levels affecting UW-Eau Claire students, as well as UW-Eau Claire’s Student Senate’s official policy positions on those issues,” according to the Senate bylaws.

It is required by the bylaws that a legislative priority summary be drafted each fall.  

“Some of these ideas have carried over from past years and will continue on in future summaries,” Intergovernmental Affairs Director Charlie Johnson said.

This year’s legislative priority summary focuses on campus Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, mental health advocacy and student voter engagement.

In the city, focus is on off-campus student housing rights, neighborhood relations among students and community members, lighting in the Randall Park neighborhood and gathering student input for the Sonnentag Event and Recreation Complex.

On the state level, the priority summary focuses on student loan refinancing and funding for the new health and sciences building. Nationally, there is also focus on student loan refinancing, sexual assault on campuses and reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

Alex Stout, the Information Technology commission director, spoke in support of the resolution.

“I just want to emphasize how great it is to actually have a full list of things and priorities to look at and kind of hold the commission accountable,” Stout said.

Anna Ziebell, the Senate Chair for the Equity in Student Matters commission, also supported the resolution, noting the priority summary’s inclusion of EDI goals.

“I think this is a really good way to convey what we are standing for and what we want to work towards as a Senate body and as students,” Ziebell said. “I especially appreciate the EDI initiatives. I think it’s important for us to continue that conversation and to continue to push for stronger EDI initiatives.”

 

Other news:

• Kayde Langer was sworn in as an on-campus senator.
• Angel Ramirez, an off-campus senator, resigned from Senate.