The Minnesota Student Association will discuss the proposed voter ID amendment and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly will discuss the marriage amendment on Tuesday.

MSA will consider a position statement opposing the voter ID amendment while GAPSA will hold small-group “respectful conversations” on the marriage amendment.

The two groups will also approve candidates for the All-Campus Elections Commission and the Student Services Fee Committee during a joint meeting in Moos Tower. A joint resolution regarding West Bank facilities is also on the docket.

MSA will consider a position statement in opposition to the voter ID amendment which would require voters to have valid photo identification.

Mitch Menigo, the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group student representative, co-authored the position statement with CLA Senator Andie Whitaker.

 “It’s a big statement,” he said, “and I’m sure there’ll be a lot of debate over it.”

The forum meeting will begin with an address from State Senator Kari Dziedzic, followed by a question and answer session.

“We’re really excited to have her,” said MSA Speaker of the Forum Sophie Wallerstedt. “Newer members of the campus will get to know their elected representative, so that’ll be great.”

Boynton Health Service professionals will also be speaking to the forum about the benefits of a tobacco-free campus. Wallerstedt said MSA may consider a position statement on a tobacco-free campus at a later time.

She said she expects lively debate over the position statement and questions for both Dziedzic and the Boynton professionals.

“Should be a lot of fun,” she said.  

University Libraries representatives will be speaking to GAPSA about Open Access Week, which begins Oct. 22. The group will assist the libraries in promoting the idea that academic journals should be available for free to students online, said Brittany Edwards, GAPSA president.

The meeting will feature “respectful conversations” about the amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. 

Through its conversations in the meeting, GAPSA will promote the Respectful Conversations Project taking place in Coffman Memorial Union on Oct. 25, she said.

The event, held by the Minnesota Council of Churches, aims to facilitate listening rather than just stating opinions back and forth, Edwards said.

“I personally feel that that’s more persuasive than any resolution that we pass or any action that we take,” she said.

“To be able to have a more open space for dissent, I think, is very important in government.”