After much debate, Student Senate determined the fate of the appropriations bill with a 39 to 1 vote in favor of its adoption.
Changes that will be enacted include the addition of a communications manager for the Appropriations Committee, a checklist added to the Appropriations packet, funding for guest speakers and slight administrative changes.
“The Appropriations Committee’s job is to appropriate money to student groups and these changes will help both the students and the committee to make the appropriations process more efficient and beneficial for everyone,” Rachel Turner, member of the Government Operations and Appropriations committees, said.
The bill had to first bypass the Government Operations Committee.
“Anytime there is a change in rules, it has to go through the Government Operations committee so we can make sure that it is constitutional,” Turner said.
Harrison Do, a student senator and senior in human biology, elaborated further on the discussion of their meeting Tuesday.
“One of the topics decided on was that student groups can be blacklisted for only a year; where it use to be indefinite,” Do said. “The most controversial topic of the evening was how, currently, we have $250 for guest speakers and the concern is that really doesn’t pay for high quality speakers.”
At the Senate meeting, one senator, Emerson Barker, proposed the amendment of funds for guest speakers to be $400 and if there was a two-thirds vote by the Appropriations Committee, it could be increased to $600.
Stipulation over the actual amount was heavily debated until the Senate settled on the $500 suggested by the Government Operations Committee.
“There’s also added something to where if a senator doesn’t uphold their duties, in terms of sponsoring an organization, there’s a provision in statutes that if there are complaints…then they can be taken to the Government Operations Committee,” Rebekah Jewell, vice-chair for the Committee on Appropriations, said.
These revisions of the appropriations process provide structure and organization to the actual process but whether it’s beneficial to students is detrimental.
Turner said it definitely will have import for student groups, to whom the appropriations go to.
“The committee hates turning groups away because they do not have a W-9 form or forgot to return receipts from the previous semester. The checklist will provide an easy way for student groups to make sure that they have everything before they get to their interviews,” Turner said.
Moreover, the student body will be knowledgeable about appropriations through the other changes.
“The communications manager will help to inform the student body about appropriations, which will help us appropriate money to as many student groups as we can,” Turner said. ”The President Pro Tempore can get very busy with the administration side to appropriations so it would be great to have a senator whose sole focus is to advertise appropriations.”
All amendments will come into effect next semester.
“I think it’ll go a long way in dialogue between the groups and student government,” Do said.