NC State Student Senate fast-tracked a bill opposing ICE’s presence in North Carolina after suspending Senate President Naila Din’s ruling calling the fast-track out of order on Nov. 19. The “SRC Eligibility Update” Act was blocked from fast-track, along with the “Defend the Pack” bill.
The act, titled “R 100 – The Defend the Pack Act”, called for NC State’s Student Government to adopt a statement denouncing ICE’s deployment in Raleigh on Nov. 18.
Student Senate Press Secretary Judson Avery sent a motion to introduce and fast-track the bill to the NC State Student Senate on Nov. 18 at 9:28 a.m.
“Apologies for the tardiness of this email but it is unfortunately the nature of the current situation,” said Avery, a second-year student studying political science and philosophy.
On Nov. 19, less than three hours before a Student Senate meeting, Din sent a message to the Student Senate email list, announcing that she would rule the bill out of order when the meeting started.
“After discussions with our Senate Parliamentarian and SG Chief Justice, we have unanimously agreed on the fact that these motions are ineligible and will be ruled out of order at the Senate meeting tonight. I will list the reasons below that all three of us have agreed and interpreted to be as such. Please reach out to me with questions on this matter. Do not reply to this email to make any motions. Any further motions will be handled at the meeting,” Din said in the email.
A fast-track allows a resolution to be passed without committee review. Din said the fast-track was ruled out of order because it was submitted after the deadline on Monday, Nov. 17. She said it could be tabled for a first reading at the meeting, meaning the bill could not be voted on until the Senate’s Jan. 14 meeting.
Multiple senators condemned Din’s procedural decision. Jana Sayyed, a first-year student senator in international studies, criticized the ruling in the meeting.
“I think it is pathetic but it takes us 2-3 weeks or even a month to respond to actions. I don’t see a need to uphold the rules [sic],” said Sayyed, per the Nov. 19 meeting minutes.
Avery had similar comments. He said he was disappointed in Din’s ruling in the email, and that senators had worked “tirelessly 7 hours to write this legislation.”
“We will not let the bureaucratic arguments stop us,” Avery said.
A motion to suspend the rules making the decision out of order passed with 46 affirmative votes. The motion to fast-track the resolution also passed. It passed the Student Senate 49-3-1.
Student Senate Treasurer Lance Williams, a third-year student studying agricultural science, initially had concerns that the bill was weak. However, he later concluded the bill was a well-written response to ICE’s activity in Raleigh.
“I believe the Defend the Pack Act is a well-written piece of legislation that worked to provide a timely response to the presence of ICE in the Raleigh area. In conjunction with close monitoring between Student Government, various organizations, and university administration, R100 demonstrates our collective interest in supporting at-risk communities on and around State’s campus,” Williams said in an email to The Nubian Message.
The Nubian Message has reached out to Din for comment.
On Dec. 3, Student Body President Issac Carreno, a fourth-year student studying political science and social work, signed Resolution 100 into law.
