The Green Initiative Fund was passed as a bill with a vote of 26-0-0 at the last Student Government meeting of the semester Wednesday.

Sen. Sam Freestone proposed the bill, which holds a purpose of “[providing] educational opportunities for students to learn more about sustainable lifestyles, choices and options available to them.”

The Green Fund would allocate money from the special projects fund to student projects that have to do with sustainability.

The Student Government director of sustainability, Kathryn Holmes, spoke for the bill and talked about how past directors of sustainability have tried to get it passed but have failed because they tried to impose a student fee.

Sen. Cody Woodruff proposed an additional enactment that said “that the finance director shall maintain the authority to approve expenditures not exceeding $500, and the finance committee shall maintain the authority to approve expenditures exceeding $500.”

This amendment would diminish the risk of the unethical use of funds.

Holmes said that though she prefers to have fewer loops to go through for this fund, she wants this to go through in any way.

After opposition to the amendment from many of the senators, Speaker Danielle Nygard said it couldn’t hurt because the committee is new. Woodruff further defended his amendment, saying that in a year if it proves redundant, it can be repealed.

Finance director Michael Snook spoke out against the amendment, saying the purpose of the group was to create fewer barriers when implementing these sustainability initiatives.

With a vote of 14-15-0, the amendment failed. The bill was changed to policy, so it will be reviewed, and a decision will be made on whether to keep it at the beginning of each year with a unanimous vote.

The policy was later voted to be turned back into a bill and was passed. 

A bill similar to the Green Initiative Fund, the Student Government Excellence Fund, was passed with a vote of 25-0-1. 

The fund will be allocated 10 percent of the balance in the special projects account. This project is meant to fund projects larger than normal that cannot easily be funded by Student Government or another alternative. 

The bill also has a goal of “promoting diversity, inclusion, equality, social justice, or address other issues of campus climate,” as stated in the bill. 

President Cole Staudt announced a recent hiccup in the process of trying to pass the medical amnesty bill. He was informed that a section of the bill would violate a federal law.

Staudt wrote up amendments that removed the threat of violating federal law and said opioid overdoses may be added to the protections.

Staudt will not finish this project by April 6 but said he will continue work on it past his farewell address.

Other Business:

• The American Meteorological Society received $11,093.72 to purchase weather cameras, pay for an installation fee and a monthly IT service. It was passed with a vote of 27-0-1.

• Funding for the Korean Student Association’s movie night as well as a mass email, flyer distribution, a quiz show and a Korean photo exhibit. The cost amounts to $986 and was passed with a vote of 28-0-0.

• Funding for Cyclone Market and the President’s Dinner were approved at an amount of $7,000.00––$3,000 to Cyclone Market, $3,333 to the President’s Dinner and $667 in campaign imbursements.

• Funds were allocated to the costs of ISUnity Day amounting to $3,181. This will cover a mass email, flyer printing and distribution, tables, chairs, food, trash receptacles, a stage, advertising, electricity and music. The bill passed with a vote of 27-0-1.

• Funding of Mortenson, State and Welch Traffic Study was approved with a cost of $5,000 which would be one-third of the cost. The rest of the cost will be covered by the Central Office and Facilities Planning and Management. The bill was passed with a vote of 24-1-3.

• The allocation of student fees for fiscal year 2018 was passed. The estimated student fees revenue is $ 2,395,815.93 and the largest amount allocated is to the regular allocations account at $ 1,698,191.71.

• Funding for technology in the student offices of the Memorial Union was passed with a vote of 22-6-1. The total cost will be $9,905.28 and this sum will pay for Vizio 70, 60 and 50 TVs, TV wall mounts, Apple TVs, Chromecasts, wall mounts and security locks, HDMI cables, projector mounts and wiring and wall plate materials.

• With a vote of 20-0-4, Student Government passed funding of the Student Government Diversity Committee events. The events include “You Wouldn’t Know This About Me But” on March 28, “Chalk and Tell Your Story” on April 13 and “Love Unity Peace” from April 3 through April 22. The cost amounts to $424.70.