Student Senate Notebook
Here’s what Student Senate discussed at last night’s meeting
Student senators voted to increase fees for campus transportation and SUA, and approved a resolution that supports an alternative route for the South Lawrence Trafficway.
By Brenna Hawley (Contact)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
Student Senate met last night at the Kansas Union. All legislation heard at Senate must first pass through two committees, which were held last Wednesday. There will be no Senate next Wednesday.
Senate speaks out against veto
Senate overturned one of the student body president’s vetoes at last night’s meeting.
Last week Hannah Love, Student Senate President, vetoed three pieces of legislation: a resolution to ask KU Information Technology to look at Gmail, a bill to give the Student Senate Executive Committee oversight over the Multicultural Education Fund Board and a bill to create a sustainability fee from existing fees.
Students voted to create the $1.50 sustainability fee, which in its vetoed form took $.25 from the Women’s and Non-Revenue Sports fee.
Senators wanted to get the sustainability legislation through Senate this week because typically legislation is not heard at the Joint Senate meeting.
Studie Red Corn, Shawnee senior who helped write the bill, came to Senate with another bill to replace the vetoed one. Love advocated overturning her veto in favor of the new legislation, but the new legislation could not be heard because of a rule. The bill is now in effect in its vetoed form.
The Gmail veto and Multicultural Education Fund veto were not overturned.
Transportation, SUA fees increased
Senate voted to increase student fees by $6.70. They voted to give a $6.20 raise to the campus transportation fee, or KU on Wheels, and a $.50 raise to the SUA fee.
May Davis, transportation coordinator, said KU on Wheels needed the raise to keep up current services, but that the night campus express would be removed.
Senators raised the SUA fee to deal with inflation and rising booking costs for entertainers.
Senators voted to put a $21.50 fee raise for KU on Wheels on the Senate ballot on April 9 and 10. A raise of $1.50 would go to SafeRide to increase its services, and $20 would go to allow unrestricted access to the buses. Unrestricted access means there would no longer be a fare or bus pass required to ride.
In order for the $21.50 fee increase to be valid, 10 percent of students must vote.
Senate supports wet land protection
Senate approved a resolution that supports an alternative route for the South Lawrence trafficway so it doesn’t cut through the Baker Wetlands.
The current plan cuts through the wetlands on a 32nd street route. There are also unmarked graves, which may not follow the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Supporters said cutting through the wetlands would ruin environmental and cultural learning opportunities. They also said that the 32nd street route would have a sound barrier built next to it, which would cut the wetland habitat in half and abandon some species.
The group advocated a route south of 32nd street at 42nd street.
Discussion
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we got kicked out of the union at 11!
all of the n00bs will get to see what this senate was really like during joint senate, when we try to debate and vote on ten pieces of legislation.
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