Senate approves funding for voter registration campaign

Jay Waagmeester, Politics reporter|September 7, 2022

There+were+zero+%E2%80%98no%E2%80%99+votes+cast+in+a+meeting+that+approved+funding+and+sat+several+members+to+committees.

Jay Waagmeester

There were zero ‘no’ votes cast in a meeting that approved funding and sat several members to committees.

Still early in the session, the Student Government Senate continues to fill committee seats. This week’s meeting saw one funding bill and several bills seating senators and at-larges to committees.

The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics was allocated $3,200 in student activity fee dollars in an effort to increase voter turnout amongst Iowa State students for the upcoming elections. With a unanimous vote during Wednesday’s Student Government Senate meeting, the Catt Center will purchase CyRide advertisements with information regarding elections later this year.

“The advertising will promote early voting among the student population for students who plan to vote in Story County from their college address,” said Susan Cloud, communications specialist for the Catt Center.

The Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs has dedicated $2,000 towards the campaign. The Catt Center has applied for grants outside of Student Government and stated it plans to reimburse the allocated $3,200 if the grant is awarded.

The remainder of the agenda consisted of bills for seating senators and at-larges to committees.

  • Senator Kolton Eisma, a freshman in agricultural business, was unanimously approved to fill a senator seat on the finance committee.
  • Senator Obi Agba, a junior in political science who previously served on the diversity, equity and inclusion committee, was unanimously approved.
  • Nathan Oh, a senior in architecture who previously served on the committee, was unanimously approved to be an at-large on the diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
  • Olivia Miller, a junior in environmental science who previously served on the sustainability committee was unanimously approved as an at-large.
  • Spencer Giddings, a senior in environmental science, was unanimously confirmed as at-large to the sustainability committee.
  • Senator Katherine Engelken, a senior in animal ecology who previously served on the sustainability committee, was confirmed to the committee.
  • Carolyn Klein, a sophomore in psychology, was confirmed as an at-large to the student initiatives committee.

Next week the Senate will see a bill to fund part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences week celebration. The request for funds is to “cover the cost of increased inflation and other expenditures,” according to the bill.