The Campus Self-Defense Act was passed by the West Virginia State Senate yesterday morning, leading the Student Government Association to hold a session so all representatives could vote on their reflection of this act. 

During the SGA weekly meeting this past Tuesday, Senator Nico Raffinego took the floor to share his resolution against Senate Bill 10, or what is known commonly as “The Campus Self-Defense Act.”

“We should value equipping our students with knowledge over a nine-millimeter,”  Raffinego said when concluding his speech. 

Interim Senator Michael Borsuk then took the floor to state his thoughts and asked for a recall vote. 

“The truth of the matter is that there are students [who] support this bill but may not want to voice their opinion,” Borsuk said. 

Once both senators took the floor to state their reflections, Isabella Griffiths, the student body president, then took the floor to read the statement that Marshall President Brad D. Smith and West Virginia University President E. Gordan Gee released together on Wednesday. 

This reading then caused other members of SGA to ask for a recall vote. 

A recall vote was then held, where 21 senators voted Yae, 10 voted present and 1 voted Nay on the reflection to send to the WV Legislature. 

After the meeting concluded, both Raffinego and Borsuk shared more on why a recall vote was held. 

“I wanted to make sure that there was not an unanimous approval of it because we as the student senate represent the will of the student body,” Borsuk said.

“I think the votes speak for themselves with the number of positive votes that want to strike down campus carry,” Raffinego said. 

This reflection will be sent to the WV Legislature to show what the student body here at Marshall University wants when it comes to Senate Bill 10.