Senate votes down a bill on funding allocations

Michaela Ramm

The Student Government Senate voted down a bill that would have affected the way student organizations request funding from the governing body.

With a vote of 14 to 21, the Senate failed to pass a bill that would eliminate a bylaw that restricts student organizations from requesting funding from the Student Government under specific circumstances.

Vice Speaker Michael Snook said currently student organizations are not allowed to ask for funding from both Student Government and its college constituency councils. This bill, he said, would do away with that.

“I don’t see why we should exclude a certain portion of constituency councils in regards to funding,” he said, pointing out organizations can currently receive funding from both housing constituency councils and Student Government.

Sen. Cole Button pointed out that even with this bill, funding clubs on campus was still up to the Senate’s discretion.

Sen. Steven Valentino agreed, saying the constituency councils also had the power to say no to organizations.

Snook said it will take some effort on the Senate’s part to educate constituency councils that this does not open the flood gates because not every organization will be eligible for funding.

Finance Director Hamad Abbas proposed that the Senate look into funding college constituency councils, rather than specific organizations.

The bill to fund ISU Singers was tabled indefinitely with a unanimous vote.

Grant Luther, the vice president of ISU Singers, said the group was invited to perform in Carnegie Hall in New York City as the premiere choir over Easter weekend.

“We’re just asking for any help we can get so everyone would be able to go on the trip and not have any financial trouble at all,” Luther said.

Sen. Matthew Teubert said he looked up to the group and that they were considered some of the best singers at Iowa State. However, he did not support the bill.

“It violates certain bylaws that were grossly overlooked,” Teubert said.

Although it violates code, he said there is a way to allocate funding for the group from the Performing Arts Council, a university committee.

The senate also passed a bill by a vote of 37 to 0 to fund the Iranian Students and Scholars Association (ISSA), who requested $1,675 for an event.

The ISSA hopes to host a Nowruz event to celebrate the Persian New Year on March 21, 2016. The funds would be used to purchase videos not available at Parks Library as well as traditional cloths required for the ceremonies.

The Senate also passed a bill by a vote of 30 to 6 to fund ISU Bowling, who requested $3,092.55.

Kelci Coates, treasurer of the club, said ISU Bowling had originally only budgeted to take one competitive team to compete. However, with the sudden increase of interest, the club wanted to be inclusive to all students.

The funds would allow the club to add two more teams to its competitive series.

The Senate also passed a bill unanimously that funded the Puerto Rican Student Association (PRSA) $1,275 for a Puerto Rican Cultural Night. PRSA is hosting the event which is meant to share the group’s culture with the Ames and ISU community. The event is meant to be free to the public.