Student Senate tables budget discussion

Luis Martinez, Administration Editor

The Student Senate planned to review its revised budget before the upcoming Apportionment Board meeting, but because it did not have a quorum Wednesday, members moved into committee reports.

Reginald Thedford, the student body president, called for emergency legislation because the meeting was not in quorum. This means senate members will discuss and vote on the two resolutions from Wednesday’s meeting and the senate’s budget next week.

Thedford will present the senate’s budget revisions to the Apportionment Board at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Arcola-Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union; his presentation follows the board approving $3,835 less than the senate requested for next year.

Courtney Sage, the speaker of the senate, said discussing the budget with the senate beforehand was not required; it was something they wanted to do.

“During (Apportionment Board), they told us what our actual number was or what we could be, so we have to adjust to that for Reggie to present (Thursday),” Sage said. “We were just going to discuss it (Wednesday) and see if the changes we made, if everyone was OK with them.”

Sage called the meeting not in quorum because not enough members were in attendance, making it an unofficial meeting.

“Nothing goes on record,” Sage said. “I mean, we’ll have (an) unofficial record but not our official record; it won’t go down on that because we couldn’t conduct business without quorum.”

Sage also said low attendance can be attributed to being close to the end of the year because people are busy with other requirements.

“You have to have 50 percent plus one, so a full senate is 30 members,” Sage said. “16 had to be here; we only had 15, that’s including myself.”

Though no official business was conducted, the two resolutions meant for Wednesday’s meeting were the Student Distinguished Faculty Award, an award given to professors in recognition for their commitment to academic support and service, and the Study Abroad Holi Donation to help raise funds for the Holi event happening on April 24.

Thedford gave some updates about the “It’s On Us” campaign. He said he was working on getting someone to come and speak to students.

Applications for the upcoming student government spring election were due Wednesday, and the candidate meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Oakland Room of the Union, followed by the candidate debate on April 6.

Luis Martinez can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].