“There is no government without political parties,” Michelle Murphy said Wednesday at a Student Senate meeting. “The fight is what makes it fun.”

Murphy was the student body president from Fall 2009 to Spring 2011 and is now working for State Rep. Chapin Rose.

Murphy attended the Student Senate meeting to voice her opposition to the proposal suggesting the elimination of student political parties.

The proposal is a revision to the currently enacted Election Reform Act, which is typically revised every semester.

Murphy said she felt the need to address the Student Senate members because political parties were a major part of her time as a member and the student body president.

She said she was also a founder of the Party United Leaders Supporting Excellence student political party in Spring 2009, which is based on “proactive and energetic leadership.”

“The semester before I ran for student body president I began PULSE selfishly to help myself get elected,” Murphy said. “That is what happens in real politics and should happen at the university level.”

The proposal was eventually tabled but not until Student Senate members had debated it for more than 30 minutes.

The other debated proposal was one introduced at the last meeting and concerned adding a “vote of no confidence” option to student government election ballots.

A vote of no confidence means that the voters do not believe any candidate is qualified for the position.

A two-thirds majority of student votes would be required for a candidate to be elected. If no one received the two-thirds, then another election would take place.

The proposal was changed from a constitution change to a proposal at the suggestion of Jarrod Scherle, the student executive vice president.

“I am afraid this body has begun to forget that it does not have the power to change the constitution, which is sacred,” Scherle said.

Steve Joebgen, a 2011 alumnus and former student supreme court justice, attended the meeting to voice his opinion of the necessity of the proposal.

“I was surprised to learn that this was not already option,” Joebgen said. “It is used in many other organizations I have seen on campus and keeps involvement and accountability high.”

After about 45 minutes of discussion, the proposal was tabled and will be discussed at the meeting next Wednesday.

The Student Senate also passed two proposals, one requiring the online posting of Student Senate member voting records and copies of proposals.

The other proposal was a $475-spending proposal for travel and supplies for the Student Action Team Lobby Day.

The Student Senate will have its final meeting of the semester at 7 p.m. on April 18 in the Arcola-Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Amy Wywialowski can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]