Spring Break
Senate amends bylaws
Body discusses funding guidelines, Health Services, election process
Susan MacLaughlin
Issue date: 3/17/05 Section: Campus News
The 49th session of Student Senate got down to business Monday by amending Finance Commission bylaws on regulations for organized activity funding, following a lengthy debate.
After questions were raised about the funding of The Flip Side during the 48th session members of the Finance Commission drafted legislation to amend the bylaws to specifically spell out which organizations could be approved for funding through student segregated fees.
The bill sparked a lengthy debate among the new Senate, with most questions focusing on the addition of a line in the bylaws stating that no organized activity could have ideological, religious or political biases.
Senator Andrew Werthmann proposed an amendment to change the wording to state that no organization whose primary purpose is ideological, religious or political could receive funding.
Senator Nomi Nazeer said he was concerned about the ambiguity of the new language.
"It hints that the (organization's) second or third purpose could be totally biased," he said.
Finance Director Matt Wisnefske said any future Finance Commission that refused funding to an unbiased organization because it dealt with biased topics, such as the Forum bringing in liberal and conservative speakers would be "ballsy."
Throughout the debate, a number of seasoned senators raised concerns about the number of informational questions that were being asked in the debate.
"Every senator here was given the ability to go through the process with the bill and to actually read through it and actually address these issues at the (informational) meeting," Nazeer said. "These issues should have been addressed and should have been brought to the floor prior (to the meeting) to make things more effective and more efficient, which is better for Senate on the whole."
The amendment required a majority vote to pass, and failed by a narrow vote of 13-14-1.
Senate passed the bill with a vote of 25-0-2.
After questions were raised about the funding of The Flip Side during the 48th session members of the Finance Commission drafted legislation to amend the bylaws to specifically spell out which organizations could be approved for funding through student segregated fees.
The bill sparked a lengthy debate among the new Senate, with most questions focusing on the addition of a line in the bylaws stating that no organized activity could have ideological, religious or political biases.
Senator Andrew Werthmann proposed an amendment to change the wording to state that no organization whose primary purpose is ideological, religious or political could receive funding.
Senator Nomi Nazeer said he was concerned about the ambiguity of the new language.
"It hints that the (organization's) second or third purpose could be totally biased," he said.
Finance Director Matt Wisnefske said any future Finance Commission that refused funding to an unbiased organization because it dealt with biased topics, such as the Forum bringing in liberal and conservative speakers would be "ballsy."
Throughout the debate, a number of seasoned senators raised concerns about the number of informational questions that were being asked in the debate.
"Every senator here was given the ability to go through the process with the bill and to actually read through it and actually address these issues at the (informational) meeting," Nazeer said. "These issues should have been addressed and should have been brought to the floor prior (to the meeting) to make things more effective and more efficient, which is better for Senate on the whole."
The amendment required a majority vote to pass, and failed by a narrow vote of 13-14-1.
Senate passed the bill with a vote of 25-0-2.
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