The 85th Senate of the Associated Students of Oregon State University delayed a final vote Thursday on a new constitutional referendum.
Rather than passing the bill outright, senators voted to table it for a second reading to consider amendment proposals. The date of the next meeting is not yet publicly available.
Senate Bill 85.01, the “Special Constitutional Referendum,” would send a proposed new constitution to the student body for approval in a special election.
The legislation was introduced amid months of uncertainty following a February directive from OSU Vice Provost for Student Affairs Dan Larson, which suspended much of ASOSU’s operations pending a comprehensive programmatic review. The review required ASOSU to amend its governing documents in consultation with outside experts. ASOSU Student Government Advisor Keri Simonet did not immediately respond to what this rewriting process has and will continue to look like.
The temporary shutdown of ASOSU followed the resignation of former Vice President Zachary Kowash who cited a “deeply toxic work environment” for his early departure from his position.
In reaction to these developments President Audrey Shlotter, in collaboration with Larson, announced the temporary shutdown of the student government in order to conduct a comprehensive review of the organization’s operations and work culture.
What the bill would do
If approved, SB-85.01 would trigger a special constitutional referendum within 90 days, asking students whether to adopt a newly drafted constitution or keep the existing one.
The draft constitution includes changes to Senate structure, clarifies executive authority, expands Judicial Council powers and sets clearer election rules, including a requirement that at least 10% of the student body vote for an election to be certified — though a proposed amendment would seek to lower this threshold to 5% given the historic low of 8.99% voter turnout during the previous election on Feb. 28.
Why it matters and next steps
ASOSU leaders have framed the referendum as essential to restoring the student government’s full operations, which remain under administrative restrictions.
The Senate is expected to take up SB-85.01 again in its next meeting, where members will review proposed amendments. If passed, the bill would then go to the student body in a special election.
Until then, the future of ASOSU’s constitutional reform — and the timeline for restoring its full student government functions — remains uncertain.
