The UF Supreme Court unanimously approved a referendum that would ask students whether or not they think UF should move forward in forcing publications to be distributed out of university-owned racks.
The referendum, brought to the Supreme Court by Sen. David Bradshaw, would need 500 student signatures by Tuesday for the Supreme Court to demand the supervisor of elections to include the referendum on the October ballot, said Chief Justice Matt Michel.
UF’s administration wants all publications on campus to be placed in black, modular racks. This controversial move would cause problems for The Independent Florida Alligator, which uses its orange racks to attract readers.
Bradshaw said the administration made the decision due to issues in safety, security, sustainability and aesthetics.
Some justices were concerned about whether the referendum would still be relevant by elections.
Justice Alex Andrade said should the situation with the newsracks change, the Supreme Court would need to reconvene and amend the referendum’s wording to make it still applicable for voting.
He said the Alligator is important to students, especially when it comes to reporting about Student Government elections.
Contact Ben Brasch at bbrasch@alligator.org.
