The SGA declared an end to large funding of projects.

It came through a budget amendment that was proposed by Yannick Gill, an SGA senator, and was passed by the senate. This amendment puts a theoretical cap on all SGA donations to organizations at $500.

“As our President mentioned last week, ‘SGA isn’t simply a funding mechanism,’” Gill said. “Our goal shouldn’t be to give out money to different organizations.”

Gill also went on to say during Monday’s night meeting in the UC Cypress Room, that money being saved by the SGA looked better for the organization than money used.

This comes one week after the SGA appropriated $900 to the Collegiate Men of VSU to pay for food for their upcoming Women’s Appreciation Dinner.

Gill wanted the senators to not look explicitly at that, however.

“As I go through this, I want you guys to focus not on last week, but what’s going to happen in the future,” Gill said. “There was a lot of discussion, not really about where the money was going, but the main debate came from the amount of money that was given.”

Gill explained that there was confusion about if a cap had presently existed, or if these caps had not existed.

“From the email most of us received, those caps aren’t there, and that’s what I’m proposing to change tonight,” Gill said.

This cap, however, can be overridden with approval from the Senate Finance Committee and with a three/fourths approval from the Senate itself.

Gill explained why these overrides were put in place.

“It doesn’t really put a cap, but it does give the idea of a cap of $500,” Gill said. “It also leaves the possibility of giving more if the Senate truly does see that fit. It alleviates problems when it comes to excessive use of things that the Senate doesn’t always agree on.”

NOTES:
At 1 hour and 58 minutes, this was the longest SGA meeting of the semester so far. The meeting started at 8:00 PM and adjourned at 9:58 PM, just two minutes before the University Center closed for the night.
The head of the Judiciary committee was on hand at the meeting, keeping tabs on the roll for the meeting, to see who was absent at the meeting. Roll was also taken by SGA secretary Kelly Hessler, who normally performs that task.
It was announced during the meeting that the minutes from every meeting this semester, as well as full attendance records, would be put on the SGA’s website.
Two senators – Edgar James and Jacque Robinson – were elected. Of note, Robinson is a grad student, and is now the sole graduate representative on the SGA senate.
There is no SGA meeting next week, but rather, the SGA will hold their Senate Retreat on Monday night at Centennial Hall.