With former executive members of Student Government playing Frisbee within sight outside, the Senate discussed a resolution asking Iowa legislatures for more funding for higher education in the state of Iowa.

At the final meeting of the spring semester, senators voted to approve a resolution 20 to 3 that supported an increase in funding.

This comes after Iowa legislators approved a budget of $6.3 million, which is $13.6 million less than the amount requested by the Iowa Board of Regents, a $19.9 million.

Without the full funding from legislatures, both President Steven Leath and Bruce Rastetter, president of the Regents, stated that “an increase in tuition is necessary to stay at the current operating level,” according to the Student Government documents.

Vice Speaker of the Senate Conner Tillo, who co-authored the bill said that while it was only a piece a paper, they wanted the Iowa legislature to accurately represent the students at all five schools under the Board of Regents. He continued, saying the resolution was to show support for any increase at Iowa State as well as other Regents schools, “in order for the ultimate efficiency to be reached.”

President Cole Staudt called the resolution “a bad political move,” because the Senate had already sent a resolution requesting more educational funding last session.

Staudt continued, saying Student Government should focus now on the next legislative session when they vote on the budget next spring.

Sen. Roberto Ortiz said he was not in favor of this resolution and pointed out there were other ways to encourage more funding, such as voting out legislatures who voted for a lower budget.

A resolution condemning a piece of national legislation was approved by Student Government Senate with a unanimous vote

“The Campus Accountability and Safety Act,” H.R. 3403, which was introduced last July in the U.S. House of Representatives, amends provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and aims address the issue of sexual assaults on college campuses across the country. The Senate chose to oppose this legislation because “despite the intentions behind H.R. 3403 being commendable, the language, details, and methods laid out in the bill are extremely detrimental to survivors of sexual violence,” according to Senate documents.

The resolution was co-authored and submitted to the Senate by Sen. Abhijit Patwa, who said the bill is currently in the Subcommittee of Higher Education and Workforce Training, and is expected to have action on it over the summer months.

“We’re going to send a clear message to our policy makers in D.C. and on campus that we will not stand for these kind of policies,” said Meredith Cook, a senior in political science and former member of Senate who helped author the resolution.

Cook explained that Title IX, a gender equity act, requires universities to investigate acts of sexual assault and harassment. However, the Campus Safety Act “wants to interfere with that and require survivors to make their reports with the police in order to seek justice.”

“You can still access resources, but you cannot seek to have your perpetrator sanctioned,” Cook explained.

Dissenters of Title XI feel that alleged perpetrators—particularly men—feel they are being wrongly punished by universities, Cook said is simply not true.

Sen. Sam Freestone offered a recommendation to send the resolution to the chair of Subcommittee of Higher Education and Workforce Training, and “even go as far as send it to everyone in the subcommittee,” which was accepted by the Senate.

Several items up for vote by the Senate was the task of seating senators onto various boards and committees across campus.

After a discussion, Sen. Steven Valentino was the senator seated on the CyRide Board of Trustees with a unanimous vote; President Cole Staudt was also approved unanimously on the Senate to a seat on the Board.

Sen. Jane Kersch was elected over Sen. Steven Valentino 11 to 9 to a seat on the Special Student Fee and Tuition Committee (SSFTC); David Moore Special was nominated by President Cole Staudt to the SSFTC, which the Senate confirmed unanimously.

Sam Perington, junior in marketing, and Austin Hanner, a junior in pre-business, were elected unanimously to the Memorial Union Board of Directors; Sen. Eric Wirth, current news editor with the Daily, was named to the Iowa State Daily Board of Trustees with a vote of 19 to 3.

The senators also conducted internal business, seating senators in positions within Student Government.

Sen. Wirth, Sen. Smith, Sen. Charles Faunce, Sen. Aimee Rodin and Sen. Adam Millsap were confirmed with a vote of 17 to 0 to the Public Relations Committee of Student Government.

Jacquline Cale was confirmed as the election commissioner to the Executive Cabinet by the senators with a unanimous vote, and will oversee the Student Government elections that take place in the spring.

Senators also voted unanimously to seat Jacob Zirkelbach as the clerk to the senate. As clerk, Zirkelbach will take note of occurrences of meetings throughout the 2016 term.

Sen. Cody Smith, who was initially elected represent Campustown, was reseated to a seat on United Residents Off-Campus (UROC) by the senate with a unanimous vote.

New business was also voted on, including a bill to fund $2,353.48 to the Iowa State golf club, which is eligible to compete in the NCCGA Spring 2016 Nationals tournament in West Virginia on April 23. The bill passed with a unanimous vote. The funds would cover the cost of vehicles to the tournament and registration fees.

Senators voted 24 to zero to fund $908.40 to create resource posters. The goal of these posters, which will be placed in bathrooms across campus, “is to promote awareness of health resources available on and off campus,” Senate documents state.

KURE 88.5 requested $775 for various costs that could cover repairs, postage and printing fees for this fiscal year, which passed with a unanimous vote.