On Oct. 13, Student Body President Case Harris vetoed The Fate of the Gates Bill. The bill heavily advocated against changes proposed by the College Station police chief for the Northgate District.
On Oct. 5, the bill was up for debate, and was unanimously passed by Student Senate. However, Harris decided to veto the bill due to issues with the senate charging the executive branch to enact certain statutes. In a written statement addressed to members of the senate, Speaker of the Student Senate Tyler Smith identifies the reason why Harris vetoed the bill.
“The bill would statutorily dictate that the executive branch would advocate on topics such as safety, residential, entertainment rights and privileges of the student body,” Smith said.
Although the bill was vetoed on the afternoon of Oct. 13, the bomb threat against Kyle Field delayed any statements. Harris’ veto was officially announced on Oct. 14.
Some members of the senate were disappointed when they were informed of the decision, as Smith explained.
“Further, I am concerned that this advocacy on behalf of students’ interests will be delayed as a result of this veto,” Smith said in his statement.
The next general senate meeting will be held on the evening of Oct. 19. The senate will hear from Harris about his decision, and the Student Senate plans to attempt an override of the presidential veto.
“I am confident that the senate will stand strong in its previous opinion. I look forward to the vote that we will take next week,” Smith said.
Community Relations Chair Jessica Williams was one of the original sponsors for the bill. In an interview with The Battalion, Williams shared her disappointment with Harris’ decision.
“I believe the will of the students is clear,” Williams said. “We have had a lot of engagement from senators and students in this piece.”
Williams said the bill was possibly vetoed due to the language of the bill that would task the executive branch to take certain actions.
“I hope to continue to talk to [Harris] and figure out what went wrong, what ways we can better communicate and figure out the internal details of checks and balances to write better legislation,” Williams said.
