A failed bill at Thursday's Student Senate meeting would have provided the K-State Student Union with a 1 percent increase in its operating budget. However, debate arose about whether a 1 percent increase would be sufficient.

Union officials attended the meeting to watch the proceedings. In total, there were three bills detailing fund increases for the Union on the agenda.

"A 1 percent increase is not enough to keep the Union operating at full force," said Danny Unruh, junior in food science and industry and political science.

He said when the Union would be forced to make cuts, student jobs would be the first to go if the Union could not maintain efficiency.

Jessica Schultz, senior in political science and chair of the Privilege Fee Committee, said during times of economic crisis, it would be unjust to provide an agency with a larger increase.

Schultz said the Union has alternative options if it begins to struggle financially. Among those options are the possibilities of closing the food court at 2 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., closing the Union on Sundays altogether and charge for room and equipment rentals.

"What will students notice more: An augmentation to the privilege fee or a black, dark Union on Sunday?" Unruh asked. "It's probably not the most appropriate time to raise privilege fees, but I think it's necessary."

Bernard Pitts, executive director of the Union, said that Union officials have been taking steps at reducing the Unions expenditures for the past decade.

"We have made cuts, reduced staff and developed more efficient ways of operating the facility over the last 10 years," Pitts said.

Many groups use the Union as a meeting place throughout the week. On Sundays alone, Pitts said, 200 meetings take place.

Peter Boos, president of the Union Corporation Board, gave an example of a group that had a scheduling conflict this year. Their usual meeting place at the Union was unavailable for the time which they needed it. ***The group pays $90 each week to use the Union.

Consequently, the group had to ask the SGA for $900 to rent a different meeting place, but was denied the funding.

"If you don't fund the Union now," Boos said, "You must fund additional groups later."

Student Body President Dalton Henry, senior in agricultural economics, agricultural communications and journalism, argued for the bill. He said if the Senate passed the bill, it would force the university to come to the table and support the Union as well.

The bill has been referred back to the Privilege Fee Committee.

The Senate did pass another bill allocating funding for Union repairs and replacements. In the bill, the Senate granted a 5.9 percent increase over the course of three years.

"We did see that there were substantial needs that needed addressed right away," Schultz said. "Repair and replacement was deemed the most critical."

Schultz was given a tour of the Union and shown items that would need replaced over the next few years. The largest item on the list is the replacement of nine sections of the roof expected cost $1 million. The Union also wants to replace single pane with double pane windows, said Schultz.

President Schulz gave a brief presentation at the meeting where he outlined changes to the university over the next year. Specifically, he spoke about the recent statewide budget cuts in education.

"We're looking at a half million dollar cut," Schulz said. "That's outstanding news, I thought it could be much deeper."

Unlike other universities, Schulz said, K-State is not forcing each department to take a percentage cut.

"I just think that the peanut butter approach of telling everyone to take a five-percent cut is non-strategic and hurts everyone," he said.

K-State is taking a different route in collecting ideas and recommendations for things that affect the whole campus.

"The biggest issue is not dollars," said Schulz. "It's morale."

He emphasized that professors should not stress the issue and K-State is smart enough to find alternative methods for surviving the crisis.