The 85th Senate of the Associated Students of Oregon State University approved an amended draft of Senate Bill 85.01, the “Special Constitutional Referendum”, Thursday night, advancing the organization’s constitution process.
This approval came out of a non-binding vote among members of the Senate in order to get a pulse on whether they’d pass SB-85.01. All but one senator voted for passing the bill.
A final Senate vote will not occur until next week at the earliest, pending review by OSU’s Office of General Counsel.
The referendum, if ultimately approved, would place the newly amended constitution before students in a special election within 90 days after passing. Voters will be asked whether to adopt the proposed framework — crafted through a mix of consultant recommendations, administrative requirements and student-led amendments — or retain ASOSU’s existing constitution.
The Senate introduced several notable changes before giving their non-binding approval of the amended draft constitution:
Student initiative thresholds — the percentage of student signatures required to initiate constitutional amendments or ballot measures was reduced from 10% to 5% of the student body, lowering proposed barriers for student-led initiatives.
Executive Branch clarity — language now distinguishes between “presidential” and “non-presidential” executive bodies, ensuring some programs or services may operate outside of direct presidential control.
Enactment timeline — instead of delaying implementation until the next election cycle, the amended constitution would take effect immediately upon ratification by students, with current officeholders serving out their terms under the new system.
Judicial Council authority —- the amendments clarify that the Judicial Council cannot grant itself or other branches powers not already specified in the constitution.
Why the referendum matters and next steps
The constitutional rewrite stems from a February directive by Vice Provost for Student Affairs Dan Larson, which suspended most ASOSU operations pending a programmatic review. Among other conditions, the review required ASOSU to update its governing documents with input from a Student Affairs-contracted consultant and a legal review of employment practices.
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 Schlotter, 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.
The OSU Office of General Council will review the amended text over the coming week to ensure compliance with university and state policy. If the bill is approved by the OGC, the Senate is expected to reconvene at 6 p.m. on Thursday for a final vote shortly after the review is complete.
