April 29 ASUI Senate Meeting
ASUI Supports with more funds
ASUI will be allocating more funds to help a few programs on campus. There are 3 bills that have been created to help with the distribution of funding. S20 B17, S20 B19 and S20 B20 will allocate a total of $1,027 to a suit of programs.
S20 B17 will support the 31st annual Paint the Palouse event next fall semester by helping pay for brushes, shirts, transportation, etc.
“Paint the Palouse brings together over 300 student volunteers and all students, staff participates in this event in order to bring residents into the community of Moscow and paint usually three to four homes in the community,” Saraya Flag said. “It is a great event to empower residents to get involved in the Moscow Community.”S20 B19 will set aside $300 for the use of the Center for Volunteerism and Social Action for their programs and events center around the 2020 elections.
S20 B20 will help the Vandal Creative Services office create emergency resource cards for students at UI.
Support for Two Programs
ASUI Senate is showing their support for two new programs being created at the university. The Vandal Gateway Program and the Vandal Quest Program (VGP).
S20 R14 is supporting the VGP which will help students who may not have ordinarily meet the admissions criteria. S20 R15 will establish the senate’s support for the Vandal Quest Program which helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to have more options to enroll at UI.
Updates
ASUI Senate is making a few changes to their rules and regulations and establishing their budget for next year. S20 B18 establishes the change of senate seats based on a proportionate number of students enrolled in the undergraduate body.
S20 B21 is changing the ASUI President Cabinet staff members where they will be getting rid of a few positions and adding some new chairs. S20 B22 is adjusting the president, vice president, senators and more positions pays regarding the work they will be completing within a week.
Brandon Roberts can be reached at [email protected]
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April 22 ASUI Senate Meeting
Bills and Resolutions Passed
ASUI Senate voted to pass last week’s resolution that called for the breaching of the Lower Snake River Dams. Senate Bill NO. S20-R13 was passed in a 2/3 votes after being backed up by a few speakers.
Morgan Chaffee the Idaho Delegate for the National United States Pageant supported this bill because her community outreach project is also about dam removal. Patrick Robichaud the Associate Students WSU’s Environmental Sustainability Alliance chair and co- author of the resolution supported this resolution.
“The environmental impact statement does a good job of exploring other possibilities,” Robichaud said. “But it does not go far enough in demanding action. Extinction is forever, the time to act is now.”
ASUI also voted on Senate Bill NO. S20-B15 which was passed in a majority vote. The bill would amend ASUI Rules and Regulations section 1070.000.
Where the Senate Standing Committee on Government Operations and Appointments will allow one strike instead of two during the semester. A strike will occur when an ASUI official blatantly, intentionally or repeatedly violates the ASUI governing documents.
Vandal Gateway Program
ASUI Senate is supporting the establishment of the Vandal Gateway Program (VGP). Senate Bill NO. S20-R14 would support the VGP which is a trial program which accepts students who may not ordinarily meet admissions criteria.
This program is administered by the College of Letter, Arts and Social Sciences and will also serve as support for a select cohort of first year students.
Brandon Roberts can be reached at [email protected]
April 15 ASUI Senate Meeting
Resolution to Breach the Lower Snake River Dams
A few ASUI Senators wrote a resolution in support of the breaking of four dams on the Lower Snake River system. Senate Bill NO. S20-R13 raises concerns over the rapidly declining salmon populations that have been listed as endangered or threatened species on the Endangered Species Act.
The resolution gathers information from many sources like the recent Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bonneville Power Administration. The resolution identifies concerns over the loss of renewable power from the breaching of the dams.
The resolution hopes to provide more research on the fact that much of the dam’s power creation is insufficient. Most of the power for Washington comes from other sources, and it would be more beneficial to help salmon populations than worry about the costs of electricity in the area.
Funds for the Creative Services Office
ASUI Senate will be allocating $307 to the Vandal Creative Services Office to help with emergency services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Bill S20-B16 is designed to help the office produce emergency resource cards for student body to be used in these desperate times.
ASUI recognizes their role to advocate for health, safety and general wellbeing of the students at UI. With this they hope the funds will help students get information about sources they can reach out to in case they need them.
The resource cards would contain contact information for on campus emergency services.
ASUI Governing Document Strikes
A new bill will amend the rules and regulations to provide disciplinary action to any ASUI official that violates governing documents. Senate Bill S20-B15 states that if an official where to blatantly, intentionally or repeatedly violate documents then they will be punished.
The Senate Standing Committee on Government Operations and Appointments (GOA) will be used to help determine when these sorts of actions have occurred. ASUI officials will have two strikes per semester unless otherwise noted.
Strikes can lead to dismissals, a decrease or lack of pay or more immediate action outside of the GOA’s authority. The bill’s purpose was to clarify some actions that the GOA conducts so that the number of disciplinary actions better fit a semester timeline.
Last Week’s Resolutions
This week ASUI Senate passed two resolution from last week one expressing a need for a sustainability chair, and the other encouraging the stay at home order. Senate Resolution S20-R11 was created to help the ASUI President with sustainability issues by creating a chair to help pursue the student’s interests.
The ASUI president would have control over who is elected into this position. But the chair would help collaborate with clubs, organizations, and students to better represent sustainability actions.
Senate Resolution S20-R12 is encouraging faculty, staff and students to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution addresses many guidelines put in place by local, state and federal governing bodies.
The resolution hopes to address everyone plays an important role in protecting the community.
Brandon Roberts can be reached at [email protected]
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April 8 ASUI Senate Meeting
Follow Stay at Home Order
ASUI is encouraging faculty, staff and students to stay at home during COVID-19 pandemic. ASUI proposed S20 R12 this resolution is not only an encouragement but a guideline for the rules implemented by federal, state and local governing bodies. The resolution outlines many of the policies put in place by the president, the state of Idaho and the CDC.
“I still don’t think people understand how serious COVID-19 is and how irresponsible and immature it is to have social gatherings,” Senator Aaron Bharucha said.
Sustainability Chair
ASUI aims to create a sustainability chair that will advise the ASUI President. S20 R11 will create and implement a sustainability chair that reflects students’ interests.
All future presidents would have the ability to choose who sits at this chair and outline if that chair is conducting their job properly. This resolution hopes to better sustainability projects at UI and for future students enrolled.
New Bills
ASUI plans to amend the constitution to adjust that the number of senate seats be proportional to the student body. S20 B13 will get rid of the old verbiage stating that ASUI will consist of 15 members.
The constitution will now state “The ASUI Senate shall consist of members proportionate to the enrolled population of the undergraduate student body” (Section 1. Article II- Legislative). ASUI Senate seats will be determined by the number of undergraduate students at the UI.
ASUI proposed a bill to establish the Spring 2020 general election ballot. S20 B14 will approve the ballot that consists of individuals running for office next week.
Last Week’s Bills and Resolutions
ASUI passed two bills allocating $500 to two separate support groups. S20 B11 will send $500 to the Vandal Food pantry to help students that are having trouble finding food. S20 B12 will also send $500 to the Bruce and Kathy Pitman Fund for Student Emergencies to help students that need financial help. This fund is not specific to education and can be used for other expenses like rent, credit cards, and debt.
ASUI then passed three past resolutions from last week. S20 R08 expresses UI student’s gratitude over how the administration remained flexible and adaptable through the pandemic.
S20 R09 urges the government to invest stimulus money to help support the forgotten demographics like students, dependents, and independents. S20 R10 expressed ingratitude over Idaho State Legislations Senate Bill 1385, stating it would take away reproductive rights for Idahoans.
Brandon Roberts can be reached at [email protected]
April 1 ASUI Senate Meeting
Two Bills Allocating Funds
ASUI Senate is looking to allocate another $500 to the Vandal Food Pantry. It was originally planned $750 would be allocated but the finance committee suggested lowering the amount. The senate’s original goal was $1,000 to go to food security issues across our university. S20 B11 will be considered over the next week to reconsider any changes or opinions.
The senate is also allocating $500 to the Bruce and Kathy Pitman fund for student emergencies. S20 B12 would help students with financial crises like relocation or tuition payments.
Resolutions on Behalf of the Students
Three resolutions were written in the past week to deal with issues surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, U.S. Congress stimulus bill and Idaho State Legislature Bills. S20 R08 is ASUI’s response to help students get as much out of their experience here on campus as they can.ASUI will be communicating with students to ensure the quality of education and overall University of Idaho experience will not be diminished should students choose to opt-in to the pass or fail system.
S20 R09 was a resolution written on behalf of the CARES Act that will leave out dependents from the federal stimulus package. Dependents many of times classify under college students who desperately need the funds and it would be crucial for congress to make sure these dependents also get funds to help through these troubling times.
The final resolution S20 R10 will be written to support reproductive rights for Idahoan’s. The recent Idaho Senate bill 1385 would criminalize abortion in Idaho if Roe V. Wade is overturned.
“This bill is aimed to take away women’s rights to a legal and safe abortion. I know Senate Bill 1385 places many unnecessary and insensitive obstacles in front of women,” Senator Kallyn Mai said.
Last Weeks Surveys
ASUI President Jacob Lockhart sent out an email regarding two polls sent out the end of March, one being about athletics and the other about student spaces. Director of Student Sapce Kaarin Von Bargen said they wanted to emphasize the communication of these surveys to get data.
Bargen also mentioned another meeting that took place regarding branding and signage at the ICCU Arena. This meeting was a way to look at how ASUI and its student support would be represented in the arena, either by a student section or a commemorative plaque.
Brandon Roberts can be reached at [email protected]