A controversial legislation proposal that would prohibit student organizations from having paid positions failed to pass by one vote after a lengthy debate Monday.

The Student Services Finance Committee of Associated Students of Madison voted down the proposal 6-7. The proposal would have eliminated all professional staff wages for the 16 student organizations at the University of Wisconsin which are funded through the General Student Services Fund, according to SSFC Chair Ellie Bruecker.

Had the legislation passed, the General Student Services Fund would not exist. Instead there would be only one funding stream for all the registered student organizations, Bruecker said.

The original intent
of the proposal was to address the significant “under expenditure” in student salaries
requested by these GSSF funded organizations, according to Ron Crandall, SSFC
representative who proposed the legislation.   

Emily Ten Eyck, WISPIRG board chair, said the organization would not exist under the new legislation.

Bruecker said although she wholeheartedly hears the concerns students cannot dedicate so much time for free to the organization, she does not think the legislation would kill the organizations.

Representatives from the student organizations also protested against a lack of consultation and outreach on ASM’s side.

Despite flaws in the current model, Ten Eyck said more input from student organizations should be collected before making such “radical” changes.

“It’s one big mistake to not reach out to GSSF leaders…There are flaws in GSSF and I would like to work with all the future leaders to create a system that will work for the students at UW-Madison,” Ten Eyck said.

The proposal was tabled at the last meeting before the spring recess, when student organizations requested more time to process the proposal.

Representatives from Greater University Tutoring Service, Campus Women Center and F.H. King Students for Sustainable Agriculture expressed grievances toward the proposed change and said the organizations would be significantly affected by the legislation.

“A ban on salary would reduce time spent running on student groups,” Parker Jones, financial director of F.H. King, said. “We as GSSF members do not think the seg fee model is perfect now, and we see areas where it can improve, but we should be consulted.” 

The committee debated several versions of amendments to the legislation, including having a $400,000 cap on student salaries and setting a separate pot of money for student salaries that would require student organizations to apply each year.

The proposed amendment was eventually voted down due to a lack of clear eligibility criteria, Bruecker said.

“Putting a $510,000 pot that we have no idea what the qualifications groups need to draw from it… is not the solution I want,” SSFC Rep. David Vines said.

Because the legislation is voted down, SSFC will move forward to work on a financial code for GSSF groups as it currently stands, according to Bruecker.