Student senators passed a bill allocating more money to student organizations during Tuesday night’s Senate meeting.
They approved the 2010-2011 Student Government-funded organizational budget of $640,052, which helps fund student organizations.
2010-2011 SG Student Organizations Budget
They also passed a bill allocating $569,602 for the academics budget, which provides funding for academic departments and programs.
The total Student Government budget for the 2010-2011 academic year is about $14.4 million.
Budget and Appropriations committee chairman T.J. Villamil said each student organization received a 2.5 percent increase in its base budget, and more money was given back to student organizations from the Accent and Student Government Productions co-sponsorship budget.
“All the student groups were really happy with what they got,” Villamil said.
Senators also passed a resolution condemning the members of Westboro Baptist Church, who are planning to visit UF and Gainesville on April 18.
The church, which is based in Kansas, travels across the country to protest and condemn groups such as homosexuals, Jews, Muslims, African Americans and American soldiers.
Student Alliance Sen. Alan Yanuck, an author of the bill, said passing the resolution is a peaceful protest to the church’s message.
“We are going to be everything they aren’t,” Yanuck said.
Senators went on to pass a resolution ratifying the graduate students’ Statement of Principles, which is the equivalent of a graduate student bill of rights, and outlines topics such as graduate student-and-professor relations.
