The controversy, which some in MSC have suggested is becoming racially charged, erupted March 19 during the Activity and Service Fee Budget committee meeting when SGA Comptroller Shane Chism made the motion which, if approved by the Senate, will kill the funding board. (Read our original story on that meeting here)
“It was pretty much out of nowhere, it was a surprise,” said Jerry Johnson, a student who enjoys MSC programming.
Chism refused comment to KnightNews.com during the meeting, however, those on the committee in support of killing the MSC funding board have argued that it isn’t needed because registered student organizations (RSO’s) putting on cultural events can get funding straight from Senate.
MSC supporters have argued that their board provides an alternative location where RSO’s can get funding from a body which better understands their cultural concerns, including the importance of funding food at certain cultural events.
The only SGA senator in attendance during Sunday’s plan of action meeting was Kevin Wolkenfeld. The former vice-presidential candidate has blasted the Activity and Service Fee Committee for a lack of transparency, by deciding much of the $15 million Activity and Service Fee budget recommondation over Winter Break — when dorms had closed and hardly any students were in town to observe how the money was being spent.
On Friday, the A&SF Budget Committee passed its budget recommendation with a vote of 7-1. Vice President Andrick Lewis was the sole vote against it. Lewis voted against Chism’s motion to kill the MSC funding board.
KnightNews.com has learned SGA Speaker of the Senate Patrick Stauffer has set the special session where the Senate will decide whether to approve the budget recommendation bill for for Thursday, April 1.
According to Senate rules, however, the special session isn’t required to happen until the third week in April.
Sen. Wolkenfeld tried passing a resolution during Thursday’s Senate meeting which would have postponed the special session until April 8, in order to give the MSC a “fair and full chance” to explain why its funding board should not be killed to a special ad hoc committee.
Even though more than half of the Senate voted to hear the resolution, it never made it onto the Senate floor. That’s because a two-thirds vote is required before legislation can be put on the agenda if the Speaker does not place it on the agenda after the introducing senator requests it be placed there.
Senate policies dictate legilsation be submitted 72-hours before the Senate meeting in order for the Speaker to place it on the agenda. SGA insiders, however, have stated Speakers can make exceptions to that rule, and allow legislation submitted late that they want to be heard, to be added to the agenda last minute.
KnightNews.com tried finding out if Stauffer has ever made this exception before.
Stauffer has, so far, refused to answer an e-mail from KnightNews.com on Thursday asking if he’s ever made an exception to this rule before for legislation he favors. Had Stauffer made an exception and added the resolution to the agenda in this case, the resolution may have moved forward, considering more than half of the Senate voted for it to be heard.
As of now, the special session is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. this Thursday.
KnightNews.com will be there to cover what appears may become one of the most controversial meetings of the year.
