The senate of the Government of the Student Body passed the four pieces of legislation presented by the finance committee as a means of balancing the regular allocations budget deficit.

The first bill will transfer the entire balance of the Student Activity Fee Reserve Account to the Student Activity Fees Account in order to manage the $175,000 debt incurred by a university administration miscalculation of student fees for the 2002 fiscal year.

The bill passed by a majority vote.

The second part of the finance committee plan will transfer $18,000 from the Fall Event Account into the Regular Allocations Account. The Fall Event Account was created by GSB President T.J. Schneider and Vice President Joe Darr in the fall of 2002.

Off-campus Senator and Finance Committee member Dan Kline said the bill is not due to a dislike of the fall event.

“GSB needs to do the job it is charged with by the state of Iowa [to allocate student fees],” he said.

Engineering Senator Leia Guccione said entertainment is a priority that comes second to funding student organizations. Funding for the fall event should come from Special Projects, she said.

The bill passed by a vote of 20-7-0.

A transfer of $45,000 from the Special Projects Account into the Regular Allocations Account is the third step required to balance the budget.

Although taking money from the account is an undesirable action, Kline said it is necessary so student organizations are not hurt by a large cut in funding.

The bill passed with a unanimous vote.

The final senate action required to balance the deficit will take unused student organization money from the 2002 fiscal year — which is normally returned to the Student Special Projects Account — and place the funds in the Student Activity Fees Account until the debt is repaid.

The initiative was agreed to by a vote of 21-3-3.

Since all legislation was passed, the amount of debt to be repaid thorough this action is $85,000. If the kickback of funds is equal to that amount, the deficit is eliminated, said GSB finance director David Boike.

“No debt is a good thing,” he said.

This action will take care of the debt “right here, right now,” said Off-campus Senator William Rock.

President Schneider expressed firm opposition to the finance committee’s plan and told the Daily he will veto two pieces of the legislation — specifically the bill affecting the Fall Events Account and the bill directing the kickback of reclaimed funds.

There is currently $229,799 in the Special Projects Account. Schneider said he believes $80,000 should be taken from the account to balance the regular allocations budget.

The senate is not required to maintain a certain balance, while Kline said a 10-percent balance should be kept at all times.

The money was put into the Special Projects Account by students not currently at Iowa State.

This is an extreme shortfall, and the funds should be taken from the Special Projects account instead of the Fall Events Account, Schneider said.

Senator Kline compared the Special Projects Account to a savings account.

“No executive should rob from savings to fund a luxury [such as a fall event],” he said.

By creating a bill to direct the reclaimed student organization funds, Schneider said he thinks the current senate is tying the hands of the future senate.

The fact Schneider has threatened to veto the legislation is “petty and vindictive,” Boike said.

In other conversations, Schneider addressed the issues presented by Senator Rock at last week’s senate meeting.

Rock called for the impeachment of Schneider if he did not explain his actions.

Schneider said his infraction of Senator Kline’s privacy was due to a lack of time for open communication.

He assured the senate he only accessed the one file containing ideas for balancing the budget deficit, and he is working to protect the privacy of files by making the information technologies director report to the speaker of the senate.

Rock said he was satisfied with Schneider’s explanation and will not pursue impeachment.