A record seven pieces of legislation passed at today’s Student Government Association Meeting.
The first resolution supports direct deposit for students who work for Housing and Residence Life.
Student workers must collect their check from HRL instead of having it put directly into a bank account, said Elizabethtown senior Kendrick Bryan, author of the resolution.
He eventually wants all student workers to be able to have direct deposit, but wanted to take small steps, he said.
“I chose HRL first because it’s the largest,” he said.
Bryan said students who work for HRL have wanted to have direct deposit for several years, but needed initiative to be taken to implement it.
Bryan said he thinks direct deposit is possible now because the resolution has the support of SGA and Steven Briggs, assistant director of HRL.
Another resolution passed states that SGA will support and participate in a rally to protest budget cuts to higher education in the Kentucky General Assembly’s upcoming budget.
The rally will take place on Feb. 3 in Frankfort, said Lexington sophomore Jesse Caylor, author of the resolution.
He said it will be a chance for students around the state to come together and have their voices heard.
A bill also passed that will allocate up to $150 to buy a banner that will hang in Downing University Center to inform students about SGA events.
Another bill allocated money from SGA’s organizational aid fund to six organizations.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers will get $500, the French Club will get $200, the HonorsToppers will get $350 as well as $50 from Aramark funds, the Triathlon Club will get $500, the Korean Student Union will get $250 and the Financial Management Association will get $350.
Another bill allocated $650 for the Student Sustainability Committee of HRL to buy reusable water bottles for all the residents of Minton Hall for winning the Reduce Your Use challenge.
The Student Sustainability Committee originally applied for funding through organizational aid, but the org aid board decided that because the committee needed more than the $500 limit, they should work with SGA’s sustainability committee to get money from general programming.
Another bill creates a Textbook Subsidy Program which will raise money to lower the prices of textbooks for students at the University Bookstore.
The bill allocates $500 towards starting and marketing the program, which aims to raise money from alumni, fundraisers and other means, according to the legislation.
The last bill passed creates a student food committee, which will be a monthly forum that all students can attend to voice concerns about food on campus to administrators, said Kayla Shelton, SGA executive vice president, who suggested the committee.
SGA President Johnathon Boles also appointed Vashae Swope as the committee chair for a new ad-hoc diversity issues commitee.
Boles said Swope approached him at a diversity forum that SGA sponsored a few weeks ago and expressed interest in the committee.
The senate will have to approve Swope’s appointment at next week’s meeting.
.