Club Reform Bill
The Club Funding Reform Bill (OB-16S-2945) passed unanimously in both the Budget and Allocations (B&A) and Constitution and Statutes (C&S) committees to send the bill to the Senate.
The new bill implements a system where clubs can request any amount of money under $1000. This would replace the previous system in which clubs could receive $300 unconditionally, and request amounts larger than $300 by appealing to the club funding board.
Under the old system, clubs would request money for the next semester in advance. However, the club leadership would change semester-to-semester and money would go unused. Zachary Mease, the Club Alliance Director, said 80 percent of last year’s club funding was never used.
“Most clubs are not able to look a year in advance,” said Mease.
The new bill also included recognizing more clubs.
“One of the biggest failures [of the previous system] was that not all clubs could be recognized,” said Mease. “If your club charged dues you could not register with Club Alliance.”
Mease said most clubs didn’t charge dues to encourage people to join. Those that did charge were limited under the old bill from receiving funding.
The Club Reform Bill is an omnibus bill, meaning it embraces more than one subject.
If passed through the Senate, changes would go into effect July 1.
Travel request fund running low
An additional $2,475.61 in travel request funds were approved, the remaining request fund pool now stands at $3,005.60. The fund began at $30,000 but the B&A committee allocated an extra $10,000 out of the special request fund.
The B&A committee approved a $2,000 travel requests for the Print Guild for a conference in Portland, OR. They also approved $475.61 for the National Criminal Justice Society to attend a conference in Denver, CO.
“The Vacancy Solution”
The Government Oversight (GO) committee deliberated over “The Vacancy Solution” (OB-16S-2944) addressing the candidate interview process and the structure of the GO committee.
Under the proposed legislation, party chairs and campaign managers would be restricted from serving on the GO committee. The GO chair would be elected in fall and spring, during elections.
“My role needs to be a semester position,” said GO chairman Vaughn Sayers.
The legislation was tabled until the next committee meeting March 21.
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