Session of August 25, 2022
August 25, 2022
Minutes Recorded by: Francis Ko, Interim Secretary
Visitor(s): Dr. Conn, Matthew Strong, Sean Koay, Gabriel Willis, and Krista Andersen
Call to Order at 11:07 AM
Senator prays
Roll Called
Minutes Approved at 11:19AM
Officer Reports:
SGT Shaughnessy: Please remember to state your name when called
VP Crowder: That would just be saying Senator and Citizen before your name
Committee Reports:
Chairman Fuentes: There will be no Senate Ice Cream this Friday ... sadly
VP Crowder: This is because Stomp is moved to the Student Center due to the rain
Chairman Fuentes: How will Senate operate during Stomp?
VP Crowder: We are given a table, but we have to provide our own handouts and displays. Please wear your polos.
Senator Bright: Could we please have an update on finances?
Chairman Byrne: We should have club funding done as scheduled. The deadline for club presentations is the third Wednesday of the semester, and then the bill will be on the fourth Thursday.
Special Business:
Senator Cartwright: It's been a good month or two, but I cannot continue serving Senate knowing others could do more in my role since I have other commitments.
Senator Rubingh: I would like to start a vote to approve Senator Hofer officially because he holds and IMPACT position.
Motion passes.
Senator Bright: I'm the VP of LSM too.
Citizen Willis: Does our policy apply to all IMPACT positions or just paid ones?
Senator Bright: This is a paid position.
Motion passes.
Chairman Fuentes: I'm a PA.
Motion passes.
VP Crowder: Wow. Good job being responsible people.
VP Crowder: Now we do have to settle the change of Secretary positions.
Secretary Ko: It's been a good run, but I guess I'll resign ... for now.
PPT Gonzalez: I now nominate Senator Ko to be PRNR Chairman.
Senator Ko accepts nomination.
PPT Gonzalez: I now resign as temporary PRNR Chairman.
VP Crowder: Now to settle the matter of the new Secretary.
Sean Koay and Gabriel Willis are nominated.
Sean Koay is new Secretary.
Old Business:
Senator Berry: I think we need to bring back a yearbook.
Chairman Drebot: Let's move that to open forum.
New Business:
Chairman Byrne: I would like to bring the Allocation Adjustment Resolution of Fall 2022" to the floor.
Senator Hofer: Could you clarify what "the 12th day of class" means?
Dean Conn: Twelfth day of class. Wait I'm not allowed to talk.
VP Crowder: Note, this will apply to the next school year since budget changes are a yearly thing.
Senator Bright: For the sake of transparency, could the bill authors explain the changes?
Chairman Drebot: Basically, we are allocating the same amount of funds, but we are encouraging budget submissions.
Chairman Byrne: This is also to help keep student government bodies accountable and auditable. The constitution actually states that these are necessary, but that hasn't been enforced in years past.
Dean Conn: To further clarify, Senate does limit guaranteed funds, and further requests are now subject to approval.
Chairman Byrne: The constitution does allow for the changes this year since the fiscal year hasn't started.
Senator Berry: Has LSM finished their budget?
Citizen Andersen: We began work on a majority of the budget, but since things like Spring Break Mission Trips cannot be guaranteed, we do have some problems getting concrete numbers.
Dean Conn: Is this more because students are frustrated with the lack of oversight or more because people dislike how money is spent.
Chairman Byrne: This is more to restore checks and balances since we haven't received their budgets.
Dean Conn: Haven't budgets been presented before?
SGT Shaughnessy: We haven't received budgets in the last five years, and we want more scrutiny on 5 figure issues.
Dean Conn: Has Senate asked for budgets?
Senator Bright: I think that we should focus more on making the current system work instead of drastically changing our constitution.
Senator Rubingh: Motion to table this bill until next session.
Senator Hofer: Are we in open forum?
VP Crowder: Might as well
Open Forum:
Senator Hofer: I motion that as a Christian campus we should take 30 seconds to celebrate the end of Roe v. Wade!
Motion denied.
PPT Gonzalez: Motion to recess.
Meeting recessed at 11:51 AM