By Kelsi Peace, Managing Editor
SA Congress began its meeting 30 minutes late Wednesday, after a scramble to have a majority of Congress members present.
Once present, attention turned to pizza and coffee – for students.
Congress appropriated $325 from the student request fund to provide pizza for the Service Action Leadership Team’s final Service Saturday, ACU for Abilene.
Sign-ups for the work sites will be open through Friday, junior senator and S.A.L.T. member Corey Winn said. The organization estimated 150 students would stay past noon at the 12 different work sites, each which needs from 10 to 20 students, Winn said.
Congress appropriated the money by a unanimous voice vote and with no debate.
In further food focus, Congress appropriated $500 to bring free coffee to the McGlothlin Campus Center during finals week, continuing a tradition started last semester.
“It was a big hit, and some students asked us to do it again,” said junior senator Kelline Linton, the bill’s author.
ARAMARK again agreed to foot half the bill, with Dining Services picking up another quarter of the check. Linton said director of purchasing Anthony Williams already approved the plan. Congress unanimously passed the bill with no debate.
Just before the meeting adjourned, Rep. Casey Bingham moved to amend the election rules and procedures in light of last week’s resolution to prevent the elections committee from docking points from candidates who violate election rules.
However, Congress did not have the required two-thirds of its members present to vote on the motion.
Furthermore, chief development officer Matt Greenberg ruled the legislation unconstitutional, telling Congress, “Nowhere in the Constitution does it allow Congress to write election rules.”
Before further action can be taken on the legislation, Congress will have to appeal Greenberg’s decision.
The final SA meeting of the year will be April 23 at 5 p.m. in Hart Auditorium, before the Changing of the Guard on April 29.