A change in the Student Governing Association’s agenda prevented the introduction of legislation concerning the Diversity Planning Committee.
An early draft of the agenda for Thursday’s senate meeting slated an unnumbered bill for introduction, but it did not make it into the final agenda.
This bill, authored by Sarah McDermott, senior in entrepreneurship and student senator, Tendai Munyanyi, senior in management and speaker pro tempore, and Stephen Kucera, graduate student in accounting and student support director, would provide a $50,000 special allocation to the Diversity Programming Committee for the remainder of the 2018 fiscal year.Related:
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For fiscal year 2018, the DPC was allocated $175,000, which was used in the first three quarters of the fiscal year.
Munyanyi said the DPC was designed to support student organizations that host and coordinate diversity events to “enhance the diversity and understanding” and promote cultural learning in the K-State and Manhattan communities.
Jonathan Peuchen, senior in mechanical engineering and speaker of the senate, said the bill was removed from the agenda because the DPC does not need the senate’s approval to continue operating.
“They can do that internally within their own committee,” Peuchen explained.
Without the necessity of senate approval, DPC began taking additional requests for funds. These requests, if approved, will be funded using DPC reserve money. The current balance of the DPC’s reserve account exceeds $98,000.
The draft of the agenda that includes this bill is still available through SGA’s homepage.
Also during the meeting, James Krotz, graduate student in counseling and student development and chair of the State Relations Committee, spoke briefly about three amendments to current gun control legislation that could affect K-State students if passed.
One of the amendments would require individuals to complete training to obtain a concealed carry license. Another amendment would allow universities in the state of Kansas to craft their own gun legislation. The third amendment proposed would lower the state concealed carry age to 18.
Krotz said these amendments would be a “step in the right direction.”
The senate also approved Kylie Andres, graduate student in counseling and student development, to fill the vacated chair position of Senate Operations Standing Committee for the remainder of the term.
