Senate Plans To Send Proposal To Gov. Malloy Board Of Regents
By Kassondra Granata
The SGA passed a joint resolution regarding the tuition increase and allocated money to two CCSU clubs during new business at its last meeting.
The joint resolution, written by Sen. Bobby Berriault, is intended to be from the SGAs of Central, Eastern, Southern and Western state universities to those responsible for funding for higher education.
Berriault said that he had Academic Affairs look over the resolution and it was passed unanimously. If passed, Berriault said that the senate will send it over to the other SGAs. If all four approve, the Student Government Associations will take further action.
“The idea is to get this resolution passed by all four student governments,” said Berriault.
The resolution highlights Gov. Dannel Malloy’s budget proposal for $1.5 billion more towards the University of Connecticut.
According to the resolution, Malloy has “no similar investment in the four state colleges and universities in the ConnSCU system.” It states that the four SGAs “demand that our legislative leaders increase the amount of funding going towards the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.”
Berriault said that if the resolution passed within the senates, it will be sent to Gov. Malloy’s office, other higher education offices and media outlets.
“As a student senator and a CCSU student, I am deeply concerned about the proposed budget from Gov. Malloy’s office,” says Berriault. “The goal of the joint resolution is to express the disappointment from the student body with the governor’s proposed budget and to urge the state legislature to increase the amount of funding to our school and to all of the 17 state colleges and universities in the CSU system.”
The resolution passed in the senate by 97 percent with three percent of the senate abstaining.
On Monday, the Student Government Association sent out its newsletter and spoke of the joint resolution that was passed.
“This joint resolution is a way to show the legislators and Board of Regents that the students of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities demand an increase in funding going towards our higher education and failure to do so is a failure to Connecticut’s future. The resolution had also been endorsed by the Student Advisory Committee to the Board of Regents,” the newsletter said.
Sen. Ryan Baldassario moved to approve the Student Veterans’ Organization’s line-item change moving $100 from speakers to entertainments to co-sponsor with Phi Delta Theta.
With little to no discussion, the motion passed with 32 yes-votes, one no-vote and one abstention. Sen. Kory Mills then moved to approve the Physical Education Club’s line-item request in full.
Ashley Pease, President Physical Education Club, spoke on behalf of the line-item change and stayed until after the senate voted on the recommendation. The motion passed with 27 yes-votes, two no-votes and five abstentions.