Seven pieces of legislation were passed during this week’s ASUI senate meeting, including six club funding bills and one resolution. One new funding bill was also introduced.
A resolution was also passed congratulating the elected candidates for the Moscow City Council and Moscow Mayor elections held Nov. 4. Hailey Lewis was elected mayor and will begin her four-year term in January. Evan Holmes, Sage McCetich and Scott Sumner were elected to the three open city council seats.
Bill F25-B08, which was introduced in the last legislative session, was passed, giving $500 to the University of Idaho Pre-Law Society. Discussion of the bill had been postponed to this week due to last week’s meeting being canceled.
“Our goal as a student organization is to bridge the gap between undergraduate students, law students and legal professionals, and this funding will directly allow us to continue this mission,” said Erika Amaral Pelayo, the Pre-Law Society club president.
Bill F25-B12, giving $1,000 to the Bangladesh Association of Student Scholars, was passed with modifications. Also absent from the last meeting, the vice president of BASS, Syed Masum, spoke in the debate on the bill and during the open forum.
“A total of $750 that we got last year, we didn’t get this year, and we as international students have a lot of restrictions, so we can only do fundraising through the university and not outside of it,” Masum said.
During debate on the bill, Sen. Zac Knapp brought up concerns regarding Director of Finance Lance Butikofer’s recommendation of lowering the funding amount from $1,500 to $700.
“There were no concerns brought to my attention at any point about the amount of money the club was asking for. Thus, I have been somewhat blindsided by these recommendations. It’s a large amount, and I think the case is warranted,” Knapp said.
The bill was passed modifying the amount to $1,000, which will only reimburse for the extra costs of Bangladesh Night held earlier this year. BASS was encouraged to apply next semester for more funding if needed.
Bill F25-B11 for the Terpsichore Student Dance Organization was passed, giving the club $600 to help attend their dance conference in Long Beach, California.
Bill F25-B13 was introduced last session with the intent of giving $750 to the UI chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America. The senate decreased the amount of funding to $500, which was passed.
Bill F25-B14 for the Women in Business Club requested $300 and was passed.
“The Women in Business Club provides mentorship, practical skill-building and meaningful networking with alumni industry professionals. By allocating these funds, ASUI reinforces its commitment to uplifting student-led organizations that foster growth in our campus community,” said Sen. Charlie Peacock, the sponsor of the bill.
Bill F25-B15, which allocated $175 to the Denny’s Club was also passed. Sen. Gunner Cavender, the sponsor of the bill, participated in a club meeting last Friday.
“I thought it was an amazing experience and they aren’t asking for a lot of money,” Cavender said.
A funding bill for the Native American Student Association was introduced during the meeting, requesting $500.
“We are requesting funds to help replenish what we spent for our fundraiser at the Kenworthy. Our ultimate goal for fundraising is for our annual Powwow on April 4 on a Saturday,” said Nathan Tinno, president of the association, during the public forum.
The bill has been sent to the Finance committee for discussion at the next available meeting.
Last session, Bill F25-B06 for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers was introduced to partially reimburse the three students who attended a conference on Oct. 31. The bill was postponed indefinitely due to funding being secured elsewhere by the club.
“After further communication, I found out they have completely covered their costs from the conference, so this bill is no longer necessary,” Sen. Izaak Krohn, the sponsor of the bill, said.
ASUI will not meet next week due to Thanksgiving Break. The Senate will reconvene on Dec. 3.
ASUI meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Clearwater-Whitewater room in the ISUB. Meetings are open to the public.
Josie Adjanohoun can be reached at [email protected].