Mo. Senate fails to pass bill for voting student curator

The amendment was voted down 22-9 by the Senate on Wednesday.

By Josh Barone

Published March 5, 2009

The Senate voted 22-9 against an amendment that would allow for a student curator Wednesday after a similar bill passed overwhelmingly last year.

According to the Missouri Constitution, there must always been nine voting members of the Board of Curators — one from each legislative district — but Missouri is expected to lose a legislative district after the 2010 census.

Sen. Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, proposed the amendment.

The bill aimed to solve the problem that comes from having only eight districts but nine curators, as it allows one district to have two members on the board. The amendment would have filled the ninth curator seat with a student.

Last year, the Senate passed a bill 32-2 that allowed for a student curator, but then-Gov. Matt Blunt vetoed it. Since the bill passed last May, the Senate has reversed its collective opinion on having a voting student curator.

Smith said he was very disappointed by the outcome.

"With tuition payments being nearly half of the University of Missouri's operating budget, it's a shame the legislature tried to deny students a true voice in the process," Smith said.

Ally Walker, Associated Students of the University of Missouri legislative director, said the organization had two students working on getting the amendment passed.

"They worked really hard and they met with a lot of senators," Walker said. "Their perception was that the amendment would pass, so it came as a bit of a surprise."

Walker attributed the amendment's failure to lobbying efforts on the part of the Board of Curators.

"The board makes their opinion clear," she said.

A May 12, 2008 statement from the board about last session's "student curator" bill opposed the idea of a voting student board member.

"A voting student on the Board of Curators would create a biased constituent seat on an otherwise lay board," the document stated.

The board's statement also expressed doubt in a student curator's leadership skills.

"Curators are in a leadership position," the document stated. "Leadership skills are developed over time in various facets of life where invaluable experience is gained that is useful in this leadership role as a curator."

Walker said having a voting student curator solidifies the student voice.

"Having that vote makes that voice even more respected," she said. "Students more and more are paying tuition themselves and they're paying more tuition. We are on campus everyday. We see the ins and outs. We care about it."

Walker said she is expecting Rep. Bryan Pratt, R-Blue Springs, to refer a similar bill.

"I think the House bill is a great way to present a secondary solution," Walker said. "It has the added benefit of having a student voice, especially when they're paying 48 percent of the total operating costs of the university budget."