Student Government approves contract and debates bylaw changes

Graduate+student+in+supply+chain+and+information+systems+Amit+Mahapatra+and+College+of+Design+Senator+Kaitlyn+Sanchez+listen+to+funding+requests.+Student+Government+held+a+meeting+on+Feb.+13+in+the+Campanile+Room+in+the+Memorial+Union.

Taylor Blum/Iowa State Daily

Graduate student in supply chain and information systems Amit Mahapatra and College of Design Senator Kaitlyn Sanchez listen to funding requests. Student Government held a meeting on Feb. 13 in the Campanile Room in the Memorial Union.

Madelyn Ostendorf

Student Government debated bylaw changes and funded One Love’s Escalation Workshop at their meeting Wednesday.

Sen. Wyatt Scheu introduced an act called “Bylaws Change to Require Funding Accountability.” The act requires a representative of student organizations, who are requesting funding, to be present at the senate meeting where their request will be reviewed.

The act also requires the representative not be a current member of Student Government, with the exception of a club whose members are all involved with Student Government, with the intent to minimize Student Government bias.

Sen. Michael Tupper said if a Student Government member was a member of a club that came to request funding, they would have the same bias regardless of whether they are presenting the bill or debating it.

Speaker Cody Woodruff said he thought the bill did not help anything and instead made it appear as if Student Government had a bias in the past.

Sen. Courtney Beringer said she was against striking down the bill as a whole and emphasized the importance of creating a line between members speaking as senators versus speaking as a guest.

It was voted to split the bill into two parts, one regarding a student organization to attend the discussion of their funding request and the other disallowing Student Government senators from being the representative.

Sen. Kaitlyn Sanchez offered an amendment to change the wording of the bill from not allowing Student Government members to serve as a representative to strongly discourage student organizations from using members if possible.

The amendment was rejected.

The first section of the act was approved with a vote of 25-0-1, and the second section of the act was rejected with a vote of 11-13-1.

Sen. Jacob Schrader introduced the resolution “Support for Ames Transit Agency’s (CyRide’s) FY2019 Low or No Emission Grant Application.” The resolution expresses Student Government’s support of CyRide receiving the grant, which would help remove gas-powered buses and instead make the change to electric buses, as well ass facility modifications and supporting equipment.

The resolution was approved by unanimous consent.

Student Government reviewed a contract for the Multicultural Liaison Officers Pop-Up Shop. The shop supplies Iowa State students who do not have professional attire for job interviews with the needed attire.. The five-year contract would allow $20,020 to be allocated every fiscal year to help the shop remain free for students and allow the shop to expand its resources as well as pay a student intern to assist in the coordination of the shop.

The contract was approved with a vote of 27-0-0.

Sen. Austin Graber waived second read for a funding bill for One Love’s Escalation Workshop. Student Government Cabinet is holding an event, One Love’s Escalation Workshop, that highlights the warning signs of relationship abuse. The request of $684.41 would help to pay for food, microphones and advertising for the event, held from 6 to 8 p.m. April 16.

The request was approved with a vote of 21-1-3.

For more information or to contact your senator, visit stugov.iastate.edu. The senate meetings are open to the public at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union.