UF student senators found themselves in an unfamiliar setting at Tuesday night’s UF Student Senate meeting.
Regardless of a last-minute Levin College of Law classroom change, UF student senators passed three student bills on the agenda, which requested $6,422.50 in funding.
The Florida Swing Dancing club requested $3,575, the Gainesville chapter of Fashion Forward asked for $2,437 and the National Organizations for the Reform of Marijuana Laws said it needed $410.50.
Funding for Florida Swing Dancing club and Gainesville chapter of Fashion Forward were passed unanimously. One objection to the passing of the NORML bill was made by Sen. Paul Stevenson.
Allocations Chairwoman Sen. Leah Miller gave a short presentation explaining that the funds requested from NORML would go toward raising awareness through speakers, advertising and education.
“We funded them last semester,” she said. “It’s more of them just raising awareness for their beliefs.”
Sen. Stevenson wanted to make sure the organization was not planning to use the funds for lobbying, which would be a violation of the SG Constitution.
He also wanted to make sure the NORML chapter was not receiving funds from the national organization.
Rules and Ethics Chairman Sen. Anthony Sorrentino said the NORML bill was reviewed closely, but no intentions for lobbying were found.
“It is not a lobbying organization, and it is not the only organization on campus that has ties to national organizations,” Sen. Sorrentino said.
Sen. Miller said the chapter has no ties with the national organization, explaining its intent was to raise awareness.
After the Q-and-A session, the bill was passed unanimously.
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 1/21/2015 under the headline “UF Senate votes to approve student organization funding"]
