ASMSU officials passed a bill last week supporting the university's proposal to ban public urination on campus.

Paul Harmon, ASMSU association director, said the group supports the proposal because people should not be urinating on campus.

"As long as the university makes facilities available for people to use, I don't see why we wouldn't support something that protects the image of MSU," he said.

Internal Vice Chairperson of Student Assembly Patricia Smith said the ordinance could improve MSU's image during tailgating season.

"Public urination is one of the negatives of tailgating at MSU," she said. "Students in south campus have been complaining for years about stepping outside their dorms on game days to see someone urinating. An ordinance like (this) will be a step towards correcting the urination problem."

She said in places where there already are public urination ordinances, people don't have to face the harsh penalty of being placed on the sex offenders list after repeated offenses.

At the MSU Board of Trustees' Jan. 14 meeting, the board proposed a draft to ban public urination.

Board members are encouraging public opinion on the issue and will vote on the proposal at their Feb. 11 meeting.

The draft of the ordinance states "no person shall urinate or defecate in any public place or upon any public or private property, except in a sanitary facility intended for such activities."

"You can't really argue against a UIP (urination in public) ticket because people (shouldn't have) to see (someone urinating in public)," Harmon said.

Student Legal Services attorney James Newton said although the office doesn't keep track of the number of tickets passed out, it's fair to say most UIPs are handed out during tailgating festivities.

The act is considered a misdemeanor, and consequences vary depending on the individual situation, he said.

"It's treated like any other misdemeanor," Newton said. "(The involved person) would be ticketed with disorderly conduct under the state statue."

Michigan law states a person cited for disorderly conduct while urinating in public is defined as one who is engaged in indecent or obscene conduct in a public place.

Newton said someone with three disorderly conduct offenses is likely to be placed on the state's sex offender list.

Even though urinating in public could get a person labeled as a sex offender, MSU does not require students to leave university grounds once they're registered on the database.

"There is no automatic suspension for being on the list," said MSU spokesman Terry Denbow.

English junior Jennifer Lee said she does not agree with the consequences of urinating in public and sees the act as harmless.

"It would affect the party scene at MSU," she said. "It happens on the weekend when people are intoxicated."

English junior Bryan Condon, however, said ASMSU supporting the ordinance is good.

"No one wants to see public nudity," he said. "These are perverse ways."