SG Senate Judiciary committee blocks transparency bills, censure hearings rescheduled
By Sandra McDonald | July 18, 2022The committee blocked half of the 35 proposed bills brought before them this Summer from reaching the Senate floor.
The committee blocked half of the 35 proposed bills brought before them this Summer from reaching the Senate floor.
The UF Student Government Senate Rules and Ethics Committee will complete two censure hearings into legislative body members Friday.
A proposed UF Student Government Senate bill would reimburse students for 50% of contraceptives costs, emergency contraceptives, abortions, travel costs for abortion care in- and out-of-state and post-abortion counseling.
Josh Richards’ Wednesday speaking event has been postponed indefinitely due to an unforeseen family obligation, according to an Accent Speakers Bureau Instagram post. No alternate time was mentioned.
Student Government’s Accent Speakers Bureau will welcome TikTok star Josh Richards to the University Auditorium Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The 2022-2023 budget will provide wages for more than 1,000 student workers on campus and fund campus resources such as the Hitchcock Field and Fork Pantry and Southwest Recreation Center.
Senate President Elizabeth Hartzog was unanimously exonerated from abuse of power charges Thursday.
UF Student Government Senate proposed a resolution honoring the 21 lives lost at the Texas elementary school shooting that incorrectly identified the date of the tragedy and the victims’ names.
UF Student Government senators resumed their weekly meetings Tuesday, and senators grappled over committee recommendations and ethical dilemmas.
A complaint submitted May 12 requests an ethics investigation into two high-ranking SG members. It concerned a trip to Israel the two took alongside other senators and executive officers.
Every Tuesday evening on the ground floor of the Reitz Union, the UF Student Government Senate meets to discuss and vote on legislation. During meetings, some Senators play computer games like Octagon, do homework in Canvas or scroll through social media. Seven bills have passed this semester and seven bills were passed last semester, compared to 19 last Spring.
The ACCENT Speaker’s Bureau event was the Student Government agency’s second guest of the semester. Howie Mandel spoke with UF’s journalism department Chair Ted Spiker Feb. 28.
Student government opened the ability for student organizations to submit requests for operational, event and travel funding Monday morning. Less than an hour later, an overflow of people on the website caused it to shut down. In an email, Budget and Appropriations Committee Chair Catherine Giordano informed organization alerted leaders and Senators of the form’s crash and apologized for inconveniences.
UF Senate swore in its batch of 50 newly elected senators and chose a new Senate president and president pro-tempore at the meeting. It was in the process of electing the members-at-large when the meeting was cut short, as the Reitz Union building closes at 11 p.m. The election results bring few changes to the chamber. Gator Party remained the supermajority while Change party remained the minority party. Gator Party’s candidates also won the election for Student Body president, vice president and treasurer, who will take office in April.
UF’s Transportation and Parking Services will convert 40 parking spots in Norman parking garage from student to faculty parking. Student Government leaders protest. The Student Body president and Student Body president-elect released a statement via Instagram and Facebook Saturday opposing the decision.
Howie Mandel filled the O’Connell Center with laughs in an event for UF students Monday evening. The comedian, America’s Got Talent Judge, Deal or No Deal game show host and personality spoke to a crowd of a few hundred students. Accent Speakers Bureau, an agency of Student Government that invites guest speakers to campus, spent $110,000 on the event, according to a contract; it included Mandel’s airfare, meals and hotel.
By 10 p.m., Gator Party seized the Executive Branch and grasped the majority of Senate seats for the third consecutive year. More than 9,000 students cast their ballots by Wednesday, a 37% increase from last Spring’s 6,650 total ballots.
Students cast 5448 ballots on the first day of SG elections, voting in eight polling locations across campus from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Last Spring, 1146 ballots were cast on the first day. During the Fall, 4697 students voted on the first day. Ballot counts do not include absentee ballots.
More than 100 candidates, including two independents, will run to represent the Gator, Change and Communist parties in 50 Senate seats, which are organized by college and year Change and Gator parties also have candidates running for the executive ticket, which includes the Student Body President, Vice President and Treasurer. Polling locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The locations are the J. Wayne Reitz Union Computer Printing Lab, Health Science Center Library, Norman Hall Educational Library, Southwest Recreation Center, Springs Library and Recreation Room, Broward Recreation Room, Levin School of Law and Heavener Room 202.
The executive tickets for the Gator and Change parties had an hour-long debate Tuesday. Candidates defended platform points and examined opponents’ initiatives concerning legislation and governing codes.