'Fiscal Responsibility' approved for 2006 ASG Senate; spring appropriations complete
Jeff Winkler
Issue date: 10/27/06 Section: News
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The Associated Student Government's regular Tuesday meeting was moved from its normal location at the Reynold center to an auditorium room in Bell Engineering, and it seemed the change in scenery caused commotion among senators.
Senate Chair Kris Zibert said the Reynolds Center had been booked before ASG could reserve it, back in March 2006, and the Senate was forced to convene in the auditorium.
The poor acoustics of the room and the steep stadium seating resulted in heavy chatter and lack of focus from senators situated around the room.
The Senate was also antsy because of the lack of business. Only a single piece of legislation was up for either discussion or vote.
At the end last week, Sen. Caleb Rose presented to the Senate Bill 5, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2006, and asked the Senate to give it a thorough examination.
The bill, authored by Zibert, states that "emergency RSO funding shall not occur for an event if the RSO was denied funding for the event through the normal appropriations process."
It is a direct response to the approval of $7,000 for the Friends of India annual Diwali Banquet last week.
The Appropriations Committee and Senate initially ruled FOI ineligible for money because of its inappropriate application process last April, but FOI applied for emergency at the beginning of the 2006 fall semester.
"I saw a loop hole being used and I wanted to close it," Zibert said. "While the Senate had the ability and right to fund FOI with our current rules, I felt the ability to circumvent the Appropriations Committee and the appropriations process was contrary to the spirit of university funding."
The four-member Code and Constitution Committee made a recommendation of "DO PASS" on the bill.
"As this bill simply clarified what events constitute emergency funding and does not give any new power or authority to any body within the Senate, we feel that it is a need change to the constitution to make it as clear a document as possible," states the committee's statement as read by its chairman, Sen. Robbie Jones.
Senate Chair Kris Zibert said the Reynolds Center had been booked before ASG could reserve it, back in March 2006, and the Senate was forced to convene in the auditorium.
The poor acoustics of the room and the steep stadium seating resulted in heavy chatter and lack of focus from senators situated around the room.
The Senate was also antsy because of the lack of business. Only a single piece of legislation was up for either discussion or vote.
At the end last week, Sen. Caleb Rose presented to the Senate Bill 5, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2006, and asked the Senate to give it a thorough examination.
The bill, authored by Zibert, states that "emergency RSO funding shall not occur for an event if the RSO was denied funding for the event through the normal appropriations process."
It is a direct response to the approval of $7,000 for the Friends of India annual Diwali Banquet last week.
The Appropriations Committee and Senate initially ruled FOI ineligible for money because of its inappropriate application process last April, but FOI applied for emergency at the beginning of the 2006 fall semester.
"I saw a loop hole being used and I wanted to close it," Zibert said. "While the Senate had the ability and right to fund FOI with our current rules, I felt the ability to circumvent the Appropriations Committee and the appropriations process was contrary to the spirit of university funding."
The four-member Code and Constitution Committee made a recommendation of "DO PASS" on the bill.
"As this bill simply clarified what events constitute emergency funding and does not give any new power or authority to any body within the Senate, we feel that it is a need change to the constitution to make it as clear a document as possible," states the committee's statement as read by its chairman, Sen. Robbie Jones.
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