The Business and Finance Committee passed a resolution to amend the Student Government Budget, 4-0-1, Tuesday night in the Student Center. This resolution will pull unused money from the budget.
Student Body President Steven Cole proposed the resolution to the committee. Cole worked with the Director of Business and Finance Evan Schrauben and Judicial Sergeant Jack McAllister to rework the existing Student Government budget. They cut $8,000 from payroll, $2,500 from advertising, and $2,750 from DPS costs.
The committee amended the budget to add the totaling $13,250 to a funding panel. The funding for the Student Organization Allocation was also added to the panel, bringing the number to a total of $14,077.54.
Senator Sam Jones-Darling said the resolution helps to rectify things the committee has done in the past.
“I think this is a reasonable thing that we’re doing” Jones-Darling said. “It solves a lot of the concerns that we’re hearing from the students.”
Senator Joseph Pernicano said the resolution addresses “the shortfall in the student organization budget.”
“But I think it’s important, very important, to note that this can’t be a reoccurring issue” he said. “Money was spent too quickly on this commission, all of us at fault and I think that’s something that needs to be taken into consideration in years to come.”
The Internal Affairs Committee discussed the senators not meeting their monthly committee requirements. According to Student Government bylaws, each senator is to attend a specific number of campus events and student organization meetings. The number of events depends on the committee the senator serves on.
Senator Sam Jones-Darling met with the Internal Affairs Committee to address some problems he sees with the committee’s requirement procedure. He said senators showing up to identity-based student organizations can pose a problem with the comfort of the group.
Speaker of the Senate Kiera Fegan said senators can also attend the meetings of non-identity groups to meet monthly requirements.
Jones-Darling also said he sees a problem with the resignation procedure. According to the bylaws, if a senator does not meet his or her monthly requirements, he or she will be forced to resign, rather than be impeached.
Fegan said since Student Government uses the forced resignation process only on rare occasions, creating a new procedure is not necessary. She said most senators do not reach the point of forced resignation.
The Academic and Student Affairs Committee discussed Resolution 102, concerning the Rec/IM, authored by Senator Marie Annaliese Corace. It resolves that the Rec/IM be consistent in rule enforcement.
According to the resolution, while all attendees must where shirts, men often do not wear them while working out. The resolution will now be sent to the Senate meeting next Tuesday.
“This resolution is saying, ‘let’s stop the gender inequality” said Corace.
The Public Affair Committee meeting was canceled.
The next Senate meeting will be held at 6:30, March 8, in Room 310B Student Center. For more information on Student Government, go here.
