The ASUI Senate passed a resolution March 11 opposing the Idaho Legislature House Bill 500. ASUI Senate Bill S20-R07 was a statement on behalf of the student body and student government.
After a vote to pass the bill, ASUI Senate had only had one senator, not in favor of the resolution. The resolution will be sent to several news organizations, the University of Idaho president, Idaho legislations, and other school institutions.
ICYM: Even the playing field: a look at how House Bill 500 affects the transgender community
While HB 500 has been signed by Gov. Brad Little the plan was not to sway the vote of Idaho legislation, but it was an act to educate the student body.
“A big part of everything we do is education. So even just by writing the resolution, this is kind of a secondary effect” Laura Hannon, senate pro-tempore, said.
Hannon and Aaron Bharucha, an ASUI senator, both said by writing this resolution they hoped to not only educate the senate but also the students about transgender rights. They added ASUI senators have a responsibility to ask what the students’ opinions are about matters that are occurring within the state and the United States.
All ASUI senators made a significant effort to learn and educate themselves about Idaho House Bill 500 and transgender issues. The statement hopes to bring a major piece of public opinion to the Idaho Legislator and other governing bodies.
The ASUI senators still face a barrier to represent what students are saying and they are working on improving the fair representation of the student body.
“This bill was so much more than it sounded like. It sounded like we want athletics be fair, which on face value I think everyone would agree with but when you read the bill, it just went so much further than most regulations,” Hannon and Bharucha said
Both Hannon and Bharucha hope that with this resolution they can influence people to focus on difficult topics and help the transgender community.
Brandon Roberts can be reached at [email protected]