The Student Assembly Senate concluded its 322nd session Tuesday night with the unanimous passage of the Approve the Budget Act.
During the meeting, the bill’s sponsors accepted several friendly amendments that reallocated funding.
The Let’s Save Some Moneys Budget Amendment also reallocated $566 from the Department of Transportation to the Filipino-American Student Association’s welcome event and cultural dinner.
Sen. Danny O’Dea ’18 introduced the Let’s Save Some Moneys Budget Amendment, which also added funds to the FASA’s event budget. The amendment re-allocated $34 from the now-defunct Doctor Who Club’s budget to the FASA event.
The Department of Transportation’s budget for next year is now $19, 434. The bill passed by unanimous consent.
“[The Approve the Budget Act] has been approved so far by everybody who has looked over it,” Chairman of the Senate Dan Ackerman ’16 said. “A few amendments have been made over a few discrepancies in the allocation process, but the budget has overwhelmingly been a success in terms of its allocation of limited student activities funds. The amendments that have been made tonight, in my opinion, go through and really perfect the overall budget.”
The Approve the Budget Act passed unanimously by roll call. Sen. Seth Opoku-Yeboah ’16 abstained from voting because he had not looked over the budget. The budget requires the signature of outgoing Student Assembly President Colin Danly ’15 and will be presented to the Board of Visitors for approval.
Additionally, the Mental Health Awareness Act passed unanimously. The bill, originally estimated to cost $100, will only cost between $40 and $60.
The Department of Health and Safety will have students from improvisational comedy groups make the posters, which will be hung in places likely to be frequented by sleep-deprived students, such as Earl Gregg Swem Library.
Chairman of the Elections Commission Ryan Brophy ’15 provided the senate with an update about the 2015 SA elections.
The election for the fourth class of 2017 senator position, left open because only three candidates ran, will occur alongside the class of 2019 elections in the fall.
Senators questioned why some students reported never receiving a link to vote. Sen. Michelle Tansey ’16 stated she knew an entire household of students who never obtained the link.
Brophy blamed the issue on discrepancies with the list of names given to him by the IT Department. He mentioned that part-time students and students who recently studied abroad, including students registered with the University of St Andrews Joint Degree Programme, often have issues receiving the link to vote.
“If there’s some discrepancy about why someone isn’t on that list, it’s school systemic,” Brophy said, “nothing to do with someone who is marginalized.”
Departing Student Assembly Vice President Kendall Lorenzen ’15 closed the meeting with some parting words about her experience with the SA.
“Thank you for the past three years,” Lorenzen said. “I really wish you all the best of luck, and I’m so appreciative of all that you do for the student body.”
