Tonight’s A&SF Budget Senate Special Session immediately become controversial when the Senate voted to prevent students from speaking during the meeting.
During the session, the Senate voted to pass the $18.6 million Activity and Service Fee budget. The budget is paid for by each student as part of his or her tuition.
Before the meeting started, Senator Jake Milich noticed that the agenda did not contain an open forum, which would give students the opportunity to stand in front of the Senate and voice their thoughts and opinions. An open forum is typically included in the agenda of every Thursday night Senate meeting.
Milich moved for a motion to add an open forum to the night’s agenda, explaining that he feels the Senate “should hear what people in the community have to say before we start the meeting, like we do every single week.”
Speaker Meghan Kircher argued Milich’s point, saying “Unfortunately, this is not a regular Senate meeting.” Kircher said that the sole purpose of the meeting was to “review the bill that was presented before us.”
The Senate then voted 17-19 to not have an open forum during the meeting.
Jeff Koeppel was one of the people denied the choice to speak during tonight’s vote. Mr. Koeppel had intended to use the open forum as an opportunity to comment on an ethics complaint he had regarding how SGA spends activity and service fee funds on a lobbying firm.
Mr. Koeppel stated that he informed President Cait Zona of his intentions around ten minutes prior to the meeting. After the meeting, Mr. Koeppel stated his belief that the Senate’s vote to not have an open forum “showed a lack of independence and an unwillingness to be challenged by differing viewpoints not offered by SGA leadership or the UCF administration.”
A source within SGA who regularly attends Senate meetings stated that in their opinion, an open forum is typically “something that goes unmoderated. It’s just a chance for students to come up and say whatever they want.” The source spoke with us under the condition that they remain anonymous.
The Senate’s refusal to allow an open forum during tonight’s meeting calls into question whether SGA violated the Sunshine Law — putting the legality of the entire multimillion dollar budget in doubt.
According to the Attorney General’s Sunshine Law manual, “members of the public shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard on a proposition before a board or commission.”
