By Alana Hu
Staff Writer
With two-and-a-half months of the semester left, the Student Government Association already has distributed its Senate budget, and campus organizations can no longer request monies.
Each year, SGA receives $3,600 from Union to allocate to campus organizations; however, the budget has already been emptied.
“The money is meant to be used, and it was merely used earlier in the semester than last year,” said Stefan Rabenhorst, junior political science major and SGA treasurer.
This year, of the 60 active organizations on campus, 18 proposed Senate bills to request money. Last year, only 17 requested money, and the budget had $200 left.
SGA is responsible for two separate budgets: the organization’s own budget and the Senate budget. The Senate budget is allocated to organizations that write bills, and when bills are passed, the organizations receive the funds.
“(We) congratulate all the organizations that have asked for money, because they are benefiting their organization,” said Savannah Hair, past treasurer and junior sports medicine major.
While Senate’s budget has been allocated to organizations, SGA as a whole has not run out of money.
“SGA still has funds for all of its other responsibilities, such as campus events and class council projects,” Rabenhorst said.
The budgets are set by administration and have remained the same for the past three years. Since then, more campus organizations have developed; however, the budget has not changed.
In the March 6 Senate, a new bill was proposed to ask that SGA request a larger Senate budget. This bill passed and will now go to Jason Castles, assistant dean of students and director of student leadership and engagement, for approval.
“SGA is extremely excited that we gave out all of the Senate budget,” Hair said. “It simply means (that) senators were proactive, received money for their organization and that we are improving Union by helping out the student organizations that continue to make Union the best it can be.”
