The Government of the Student Body held its last regular meeting of the school year Wednesday night. The incoming senate will be sworn in next week.

One bill discussed by the senate sought to prohibit specialty seat councils from applying for funding from GSB.

“I noticed during the regular allocation process that there was a void in our bylaws not prohibiting specialty seat councils from getting funding through the regular allocations process, which is different than college and residence-area constituency councils,” said Gregory Tew, engineering and author of the bill.

Tew said specialty seats have an unfair advantage over other seats.

“I felt that if specialty seats were going to exist, they and their councils should be held to the same rules as other seats and councils,” he said. “I think there is an unfair bias present when we fund certain councils and not other councils.

“To have a seat on GSB is a great thing, and there are things people are going to have to give up to have that,” he said.

However, Tew said the senate should not ban funding specialty seat councils altogether.

“For example, if one of the groups wanted to go to a conference and applied for funding through the senate discretionary fund, that would be totally fine. Every other group is also allowed to do that,” he said. “It’s just that all the rules should apply.”

Marcia Johnson, off campus, said specialty seats commonly cause controversy.

“Something always has to come up with specialty seats,” she said. “In my three years on the senate, it’s been typical.”

Johnson said specialty seat councils have every right to apply for funding through the regular allocations process because they have no alternative source of income.

“They are not in the same situation,” she said. “For example, one way college constituency councils get funding is through the vending machines in their buildings. Another issue is that residence areas have the ability to tax or charge dues.”

These options are not available to specialty seat councils, she said.

“So they need a different method of funding, and that’s the funding process provided by GSB,” Johnson said.

However, Tew said specialty seat councils are not alone in that situation because the Off-Campus Council does not receive funding from GSB.

“Right now, all college councils get funding through their respective dean’s offices, and [the Interfraternity Council] and [Panhellenic Council] through dues,” he said. “But Off-Campus Council is not allowed to have dues, so … they are without funding from any source [and] have to do their own fund raising.”

After much debate over the bill, it failed with a vote of 5-25.

GSB President Bryan Burkhardt said he felt the senate’s last regular meeting went well.

“I am pleased we were able to get through a hefty amount of unfinished business,” he said.