A bill to partially fund car charging stations on campus passed the ASUU Assembly on Nov. 19. After a debate, the bill passed with few oppositions.
The bill will fund half of the cost of four electric car charging stations at $10,000, to be installed in student housing. Commuter Services will fund the rest of the cost for the stations.
“I’m overjoyed to see our elected student officials do what’s right for the U,” said Mark Pittman, the author of the bill and representative for the College of Law after the bill passed the Assembly.
Meghan Schmidt, representative from the College of Nursing, said she could not support the bill because the charging stations would not directly benefit those in her college. Others were opposed to the bill because the charging stations would be located in student housing.
Rep. James Thatcher from the College of Humanities raised the question about the number of students that the four charging stations would benefit. Pittman said the spots will be available for all students, not only those who live in student housing and that there are 40 to 70 cars on campus everyday that would be able to use the charging stations.
The assembly also passed a bill to make the representatives’ salary cap match that of the senate members. Before the resolution was passed, senate members had the potential of making $50 more.
Joint Resolution two also increased the representatives’ potential bonus amount from $100 to $200. Attorney General Molly Wheeler said the change made to the bonus was to help increase the quality of assembly reps and to ensure they are doing more than just showing up to the meetings but actually following through with contacting their student groups.
The assembly also passed a bill to give $25,000 as the 2013-2014 Senior class gift to help renovate a room on campus to be used as a child care facility.
Many representatives argued that the bill was worth the $25,000 price tag because of the benefit it will bring to campus and that the assembly has a bit of cushion in regards to money in the General Reserve.
“This is something that is important to students,” said Sara Seastrand, ASUU vice president.
The Assembly also voted to give funding to the U’s break dance club Break Club and the P90X club, which had received funding earlier this semester. The Break Club received more than $2,000 to fund advertising and equipment as well as reimburse the president, Rachel Savage, for the cost of a workshop she put on. Savage, who is not a student at the U anymore, also received funding to reimburse instruction for the P90X club from an outside director. The cost of this reimbursement was $50 per hour for 25 hours. The funding the P90X club received was to pay for banners.
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