A deal between engineering senators and some off-campus senators disintegrated Wednesday, resulting in the defeat of funding for the Public Interest Research Group and a threat to the future of Team PrISUm.

Supporters of funding for both clubs made an agreement in late March to support one another so the groups could be passed through the senate with funding, Government of the Student Body senators said.

Sara Walter, GSB engineering senator and co-sponsor of a funding bill for PrISUm, said she decided at GSB’s last meeting to switch her stance on support of the interest group and voted to zero-fund PIRG, despite a bill funding the solar car club passing earlier in the night with the support of PIRG backers.

PrISUm was approved for funding by a 22-12 vote last month, which sent the bill with instructions to fund with a staff to the GSB Finance Committee.

The bill was then sent back by the committee for a senate vote, but failed 16-15. The senate voted against its own instructions for funding.

PIRG lost the support of three key members of its support team: Walter, GSB president-elect and Panhellenic Council senator Sophia Magill and off-campus senator Jessica Riedl, causing the $30,000 PIRG funding bill to be defeated.

Riedl, who has repeatedly voted in favor of PIRG funding, said she changed her vote after realizing the full extent of GSB money woes.

Magill said she voted against the bill due to the dire financial straits of the senate and the lack of information on some aspects of having a full-time organizer for the group. However, she said, she still believes in the merits of the group.

“I am in support of PIRG, but my decision had to do with fiscal responsibility,” Magill said.

After PIRG’s defeat, Walter, who had supported the group’s bid for a full-time staff member last month, said she was approached by off-campus senator and PIRG supporter Drew Miller, who told her she needed to file a motion to reconsider the bill.

Walter said Miller indicated he would take the PrISUm issue to the GSB Supreme Court if she didn’t file the motion.

Under GSB bylaws, only a member of the dissenting vote on a bill may move for its reconsideration.

Miller said his comments were a direct threat intended to leverage Walter into reconsideration of the bill. Miller did say he made the statement in the heat of the moment.

He said his actions were justified by the importance of the organization.

“I’m not ashamed to pull out the playbook to get it passed,” he said of his conversation with Walter.

Despite the confrontation, Walter said she felt good about pulling out of an agreement to support PIRG in order to get Team PrISUm’s funding passed through the senate.

Walter said she made a mistake in agreeing to get what she wanted through the deal, but said she did it because she was unaware of the financial consequences of voting for PIRG.

The informal agreement between the supporters of the two bills arose after, last month, Miller approached College of Engineering senator Leia Guccione and the two negotiated a compromise.

The compromise, Guccione said, was to try to persuade the other two engineering senators, Walter and Brandon Judas, to support PIRG’s bid for a funding upgrade in the coming weeks. In return, Miller would rally his troops toward helping PrISUm.

Miller confirmed he’d entered into an informal deal with Guccione and the others.

Guccione, unlike Walter, however, kept her word and voted to approve the increase.

“As much as I didn’t like it, I had made a promise, and I felt like I had to keep it,” she said.

Both groups’ futures now hang in limbo. Miller said he’s not sure he’ll continue to try and help PIRG along any further, citing frustration with both the group’s organizers and the senate.

But Magill has promised to further PIRG’s transition to Iowa State and said she plans to meet with the group’s organizers, as well as senators and administrators, this summer.

Chelsea Lepley, the organization’s president, said she had no knowledge of any deals made between PIRG and PrISUm.

“It was heavily implied during the meeting, but I had no knowledge of it. I understand that, when people believe strongly in something, they’ll do what it takes to get it passed, but that’s not the way we want PIRG to be passed,” she said.

She said while she doesn’t approve of the actions of Miller and others, she understands what prompted them.

“PIRG doesn’t support manipulation tactics, but this is evident of how important the group is to people,” Lepley said.