Currently each member of the board represents Missouri's nine congressional districts. The student will only be allowed to vote if the state loses a congressional district in 2010. If the student curator does gain voting rights, he or she would still have to sit out on hiring and firing decisions.

"Initially, my real problem was with voting powers of a student curator. And once that was fixed, there was no real issue for me remaining," said Senator Maida Coleman.

Senator Coleman said the bill passed easily and with little debate. However, it still has to go through the House before it is official.