Members of student government met Monday to examine controversial new legislation proposing an added check to the process of funding student organizations while hearing two eligibility hearings as well, one for a previously denied group.
The discussion of new legislation regulating the power of the Student Services Finance Committee through a Process Standardization Committee was a central topic of conversation during Monday night’s meeting.
The key change under the proposed committee would require new forms, procedures or legislation to go through this committee in order to be approved.
A large function of the committee is to prevent decisions from being “unilateral within SSFC,” Rep. Tia Nowack, who co-authored the legislation, said.
Nowack also said the current SSFC policy is to recommend issues to Student Council. The Process Standardization Committee, she said, would support that policy.
When confronted by differing opinions in regards to their decision to present the legislation directly to Council rather than SSFC, co-authors, Reps. David Vines, Tito Diaz and Nowack, defended their position.
They argued going to Council first promoted the idea of SSFC not having sole authority. They also said the new legislation is concerned with self-regulation and the protection of student organizations – and that Council includes everyone the check will affect.
Vines said he supported his decision to go to Council first on the grounds that SSFC not only functions within itself, but in cooperation with other committees, and does not have sole authority over decisions concerning student organizations.
Nowack agreed with Vines’s argument.
“The intent is that new processes that are created are reviewed by other committees to ensure legality,” she said.
The legislation was slated to be voted on in the Student Judiciary and then forwarded to Council for a final vote, but committee members requested to ask Council for the legislation to be referred back to SSFC for further discussion.
This referral would place the legislation in SSFC for two weeks, after which it would then return to Council.
The student organization Collegians For A Constructive Tomorrow also presented during its eligibility hearing Monday night.
Previously, the group had been denied eligibility because of a failure to return Associated Students of Madison equipment on time.
Representatives from the organization supported their petition for eligibility, stating CFACT teaches students skill sets that are relevant to any political idea.
“We’re trying to give students a resource to pursue issues they care about,” President Joshua Smith said.
On campus, CFACT creates workshops and campaigns for student groups and opens them up to all students to teach effective advertising and campaigning, Smith said.
Another student group applying for funding eligibility was the Legal Information Center. This organization provides legal information to students through the efforts of student volunteers, according to its representative Ray LaBarge.
The Legal Information Center’s motivation in applying to SSFC for funding is to promote awareness, LaBarge said.
LaBarge also added that, with the help of SSFC, the organization would like to delegate funds for advertising in student newspapers and possibly implement a “mobile clinic” that would travel to dorms and around campus.
With an increasing client list with 276 clients from last semester, LaBarge said the organization was one of a kind on campus as it serves students specifically.
Both applications for eligibility are pending a decision Thursday.
