Wells vetoes Free Speech Plaza resolution

Student Government President Cody Wells threw sparks into the SG Senate meeting Wednesday with a veto to a resolution passed last week and a speech that criticized Gov. Bobby Jindal and LSU System President John Lombardi.

Wells vetoed a resolution to urge and request Finance and Administrative Services to enforce Free Speech Plaza rules. According to Wells, Free Speech Plaza has no official policies and the authors of the resolution were misled to believe there were policies in place.

"You can't limit free speech," Wells said. "We can produce some guidelines."

But despite Wells' veto, a separate resolution "to urge and request Finance and Administrative Services to assemble a committee ... in order to establish a set of Free Speech Plaza guidelines" was passed by the Senate.

On the topic of the University's finances, Wells told the Senate that SG members are the only protectors of the University who cannot be fired for voicing "discontent with the governor's policy" about budget cuts and said Lombardi is in Jindal's "back pocket."

Wells also called out Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope after the Faculty Senate hammered Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jack Hamilton's job performance Tuesday. Wells said Cope "spits in Jack Hamilton's face. That man [Hamilton] has done a great service to this university."

In order to save the University from more budget cuts, Wells proposed a "task force" called the "Flagship Advocates," who would meet one-on-one with state representatives and senators to urge them to protect the University's budget.

SG has repeatedly tried to start Flagship Advocates campaigns, but they've mostly consisted of letter-writing.

"It's all about relationships," Wells said. "The future of the state truly lies in the future of LSU."

The Senate also passed a resolution to urge "LSU Dining to provide allergen alert signs under the already available food labels" and four resolutions to approve members to the SG Black Caucus.

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Contact Danielle Kelley at dkelley@lsureveille.com

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Wells vetoes Free Speech Plaza resolution