The senate moved to amend its contract with the Iowa State Daily and ratified its contract with the Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team (ASSET) Wednesday evening.

The amendments to the Daily’s contract:

• Increased the length of the contract from five to six years.
• Removed the maximum total funding cap of $340,000 from Student Government.
• Supplied the Daily with additional operational funding for student employee pay, accounting services, technology and general operational expenses to the tune of $200,000.
• Ensured that future funding will not decrease or rise more than 10% of the originally allocated amounts provided in the funding model, which amounts to $540,000.

The funding the Daily will receive will fluctuate proportionally with the number of students enrolled during fall semesters.

Editor-in-Chief of the Iowa State Daily Katherine Kealey, a senior in journalism, said the increase in funding would go toward technology upgrades, operational costs and paying reporters.

“[Reporters] currently aren’t paid at all,” Kealey said. “Our editors are paid through a stipend, which, as I mentioned in past meetings, ranges from about $250 to about $480 at the highest; […] we work just about 30 or 40 hours a week roughly, so we’re hoping to kind of better compensate that so then our work ethic daily can better compete with part-time jobs.”

The amendments were passed 25-1-0.

The senate also ratified funding for the ASSET, providing the team $268,541. ASSET is funded in part by Student Government, the City of Ames, Story County and United Way of Story County.

The funding provided by Student Government specifically goes toward:

• Assault Care Center Extending Shelter & Support
• Ames Community Preschool Center
• Boys & Girls Club of Story County
• Center for Creative Justice
• Good Neighbor
• Legal Aid Society of Story County
• Lutheran Services in Iowa
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Raising Readers
• The Community Academy
• The Salvation Army
• University Community Childcare
• Youth and Shelter Services
• YWCA Ames

The senate waived the first reading and moved to fund Womxn of Colour Network, a student organization for underrepresented, minoritized womxn and their supporters, to the tune of $350 for their annual retreat.

Kelyin Chng, a senior in marketing and the organization’s treasurer, said the retreat will have a renaissance theme and will take place April 1. Chng added that the retreat has featured speakers such as Toyia Younger, senior vice president of student affairs.

“Along with that, we’ll have food as well as activities such as […] plant potting to kind of discuss growth within academics and personal as well as some workshops,” Chng said.

The senate seated Obi Agba, a junior majoring in political science and a college of liberal arts and sciences senator, and Katherine Engelken, a senior in animal ecology and an off-campus senator, to the Jack Trice Character Award Selection Committee.

The senators, joined by Student Government President Jacob Ludwig, a senior double majoring in economics and political science, and one of his appointees, will decide which student receives the scholarship based on the criteria set by the Division of Student Affairs.