The Illinois Student Senate discussed the legality of altering their by-laws in their first meeting this semester, Wednesday night. Graduate students and senators Dan Nugent and Patrick Lynch proposed a resolution that would reduce the amount of signatures required for the Student Election Commission’s referenda. The resolution will be voted on next week.

The referenda is a question found on the election ballot during student elections. In order to have their question on the referenda, students must collect a list of signatures before the specified date. Previous questions have led to the creation of new fees and scholarships, most recently involving the Sustainability Fee.

However, the date to turn in the signatures has been pushed from Feb. 16 to Feb. 5. The proposed senate resolution would reduce the required signatures from seven percent of the student population to five percent.

“I thought it might be appropriate and in our power to do this,” Lynch said.

Rob Main, junior in Business, talked to the senate about University of Illinois Day, a senate lobbying trip that will encourage the Illinois General Assembly to support higher education and University projects. The trip will include University officials and the Board of Trustees.

“This is actually a really casual event,” Main said. “We’re going to a place where the senators like to hang out.”

U of I Day will take place on Tuesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. at Sammy’s Bar and Grill in Springfield, Ill.

Student Senate President and senior in LAS, Justin Randall, and other senators will also attend the Association of Big Ten Schools conference on Friday, Feb. 18 at Purdue University. The conference brings together the student senates of other universities to discuss issues their constituents may have and brainstorm ideas to alleviate those concerns.