On Jan. 9, Student Senate met to discuss five bills, all of which were passed. Senators also heard from the Student Body President about several matters, including a proposition to subsidize future Student Government Elections and an executive order regarding proposed Title IX changes.
Student Body President Jess Errico, a fifth-year studying mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Lee Daniel, a third-year studying biology, proposed a plan for subsidizing out of pocket costs for Student Government Elections. The plan is intended to partially fund campaign races for five positions:
-
Student Body President
-
Student Body Vice President
Story continues below advertisement -
Student Senate President
-
Student Body Treasurer
-
Student Body Chief Justice
“We would be covering a percentage or portion, whatever we’re able to do [of elections],” Errico said. “Also, we would not be exceeding campaign money, so let’s say we have two people run, and together that would mean we would be giving them each $2000. We’re not gonna do that, we’re not gonna just give them unlimited money; it would cap out.”
Daniel clarified the rationale for this proposition, stating that there are great financial barriers to those interested in running, as some campaigns end up costing several hundred dollars.
“Kinda some of the necessary reasons for this is that our campaign limits and election process in general does create a pretty significant financial burden to those interested in running,” Daniel said.
Money has been set aside for a pilot program to test how the plan may play out, according to Errico.
Errico issued an Executive Order in response to the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed changes to Title IX. The order aims to create a Student Action Group to collect opinions from the NC State community on the changes, according to Errico.
“The goal of the Title IX Action Group is to solicit opinions, thoughts and support for a statement regarding Title IX and to better understand what the students of NC State think in regards to Title IX,” Errico said.
R27 – Academic Calendar Communications Act – Vetoed by SBP Errico
In a written statement, Errico explained that the issue lies with the resolution’s first resolved clause, which says that students should be updated more frequently in initial semester emails sent by NC State Student Services. She further explained her veto saying that first, that the bill did not accurately reflect the goals of the sponsor.
“There’s a component to it that’s clerical, in that what’s said in the bill is not what the true goals of the bill actively were,“ Errico said.
Furthermore, Errico said that she did not see the bill as being necessary in general.
“Can student government help supplement that with advertising?” Errico said. “Sure, absolutely. Do we need to ask our campus partner to send additional emails? Do we need to ask our campus partner to change their emails? I don’t think that’s necessary, hence the veto.”
There were five bills up for second reading at the Student Senate meeting on Wednesday night.
FB41 – Dollars and Sense at NC State
In the interest of Financial Literacy Month, the Student Senate would allocate $790 to the Dollars and Sense program. This is intended to help the program’s push to educate students on financial concerns and teach skills necessary for lifelong financial wellness.
The resolution passed in Senate and has been passed to the Student Body President Jess Errico for her signature or veto.
FB40 – Appropriations Relocation Act
43 organizations did not renew their association with Student Involvement for spring semester. Section 5-2.3 of the Student Body Statutes states no organization can receive appropriations funds unless it’s registered with the University, so the $13,890 that was originally allocated toward those organizations will go toward the budget for the Spring Break 2019 – Fall Break 2019 Appropriations cycle.
The resolution passed in Senate and has been passed to the Student Body President Jess Errico for her signature or veto.
Period at NC State is an organization involved with providing students resources and information regarding menstrual health. This resolution intends to allocate $1125 to the organization for the purpose of a campus walk to evaluate menstrual product availability around campus bathrooms.
The resolution received 38 votes in support and 8 against, meaning it has passed and will be passed on to the Student Body President Jess Errico for for her signature or veto.
Every year, NC State holds the classical Indian dance competition, Navarasa. The intention of the event is to raise money for Child Rights and You (CRY) America, a non-profit organization that helps children get equal opportunities. This resolution would allocate $3000 to help rent Stewart Theatre and other entertainment costs.
The resolution passed in Senate and has been passed to the Student Body President Jess Errico for her signature or veto.
R45 – Title IX Protections Act
Last November, the U.S. Department of Education released an update to the Title IX civil rights law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs and has been used as a basis for legal process regarding sexual misconduct on college campuses across the U.S. The update would include six key provisions, including redefining what the term sexual harassment means, changing wording for colleges’ jurisdiction regarding the law and the standard of evidence required.
This resolution would show Student Government’s support for those affected by sexual misconduct and would also demonstrate a disapproval of the changes. Furthermore, the resolution will be sent to Chancellor Woodson and submitted as a public comment to the Department of Education. This piece of legislation is separate from Errico’s Executive Order, and deals with just the opinion of the Senate, rather than the greater student body.
Senator Lexie Malico, a third-year Ph.D. student in chemistry, Senator for Graduate and Lifelong Education and sponsor of the bill, explained that this resolution exists to voice an opinion against the Department of Education’s proposal.
“The resolution I think ultimately comes down not to a political issue, but an issue of protecting the students at NC State to the best of our ability, and I think that means Title IX at their best, rather than minimizing at the cost of liability for the university,” Malico said.
The Student Senate also elected a new Sergeant at Arms, Alyssa Stoltz, a second-year in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management and Senator representing the College of Natural Resources.
