Government of the Student Body Finance Director David Boike said despite earlier concerns about the amount of money GSB would be able to distribute during the Special Allocations Process, he believes there shouldn’t be problems funding student groups.

Half of the groups who submitted statements requesting consideration for Special Allocations funding have not submitted budgets to the Finance Committee for the Special Allocations hearing this weekend, or have pulled their request for funding, Boike said.

Originally, 40 groups had applied for funding from the $25,000 in the Special Allocations Account. Now, only 20 groups are asking for funding, a number Boike said he is happier to see.

“It’s a lot more manageable now,” he said. “There will be a greater chance we can give the groups what they need because there is less groups than we thought applying for the same amount of money.”

Boike said usually about 15 groups apply each year for Special Allocations. If all of the original groups who applied had submitted budgets and went into hearings for Special Allocations, the Finance Committee would have faced problems in funding them all, he said.

“I was really worried, because I was skeptical about being able to fund all of those groups,” he said.

According to GSB bylaws, Special Allocations is a process where new students groups and any other groups who missed Regular Allocations last year can apply for funding this year, to be given in the spring. Groups that received Regular Allocation, but had unforeseen expenses, can also apply for Special Allocation funding.

Four groups who received regular funding last year have submitted for special allocations after unforeseen expenses, and have been granted hearings this weekend by the Finance Committee, Boike said.

One of the groups applying for specials funding is the campus bondage and sadomasochism group Cuffs.

“It will be the final showdown for Cuffs,” he said. “I have no idea what’s gong to happen, but no matter which way it happens, it will be a fair hearing.”

He said the committee will deliberate during the group’s hearing to determine whether its requested funding for its budget items meet the right criteria for funding, and whether the group as a whole should receive funding.

“Someone might make the case that they shouldn’t be funded, but what happens is a bill goes before the senate that states out recommendation for funding for each group,” Boike said. “Now, the senate can overturn our recommendation, which could include overturning a possible recommendation to zero-fund Cuffs.”

According to GSB bylaws, senators can divide groups from the bill that will lump them together and make them separate bills for them to consider.

As separate bills, the senate could amend the amount of money recommended, approve the recommended funding or zero-fund the group.

Boike said he is unsure if the senate will pull Cuffs from the bill the Finance Committee will submit, but it is possible senators would do so because of the group’s controversial nature.

He said the committee will submit the bill after this weekend’s group hearing, to be introduced at the senate’s Oct. 29 meeting next week. The senate will vote on the bill at its Nov. 5 meeting.