This summer, two student leaders discovered firsthand the intricacies of passing legislation when they pushed to pass bills in the state Assembly and Senate.
Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Chair Morgan Rae and Vice Chair Kaitlyn Novotny both began spearheading separate legislation, the Responsible Action and Student Regent bills, as ASM internship projects.
The Responsible Action bill, which Rae initiated, aims to protect students who contact authorities in emergency situations from consequences such as underage drinking citations.
Rae said at a Legislative Affairs meeting Monday that the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department testified against the bill in an August hearing, with the concern that the UWPD might want to issue citations in certain situations.
Novotny’s Student Regent bill would allow students to help choose the two student representatives to the UW System Board of Regents, a decision that does not currently require student input.
At an August hearing, Novotny said some senators thought the bill was too vague regarding how students would provide input.
Rae said the Senate will likely vote on both bills in the near future, and the Assembly still will vote on Responsible Action and hold a hearing on the Student Regent bill. However, she’s not sure of a definite timetable. The bills are subject to amendments added on by legislators.
Both Novotny and Rae said their experiences have taught them passing legislation is a lengthy process. Novotny has been working on the Student Regent bill for a year, and Rae, now a junior, began pushing for the Responsible Action bill during the spring of her freshman year.
“I legitimately thought I could finish it in a semester, maybe fall semester of sophomore year,” Rae said. “I would not have thought it would be starting my junior year still working on it.”
