After passing a few resolutions that have been lingering on the agenda, senators brainstormed improvements for the school year at Tuesday night’s Student Senate meeting.
Senators jump-started the meeting by unanimously approving four bills within their first reading: a resolution honoring the late history professor Alan Cecil Petigny, an amendment to the Student Body Constitution’s anti-discrimination policy, funding for Generation Sketch Comedy and the Student Organization Fundraising Bill.
Most of Tuesday’s meeting hinged on a legislative agenda presented by Senate President Cory Yeffet and Senate President Pro-Tempore Elliot Grasso.
After the uproar of Fall elections subside, it is customary for the Senate executive pair to present a plan for the school year.
“We’re gonna accomplish some incredible things in this PowerPoint presentation,” Yeffet said.
The plan outlined Yeffet’s external vision of community service within Senate committees and additional opportunities for constituency.
Later in the meeting, each committee chair presented ideas for community service, ranging from Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Michaels’ work with Ronald McDonald House Charities to Sen. Dylan Fisher’s idea of playing with kittens and puppies at the Humane Society.
“What I’ve done with Senate exec is challenge them to have community events to show that we care about the community,” Yeffet said.
The plan’s internal vision included professionalism inside and outside the Senate chambers and accountability among senators by following through with resolutions and planned events.
Yeffet also formed a temporary Rules and Procedures Committee to include initiatives such as the new senator orientation series.
The committee will include six members, a minority party leader, majority party leader and Sen. Susan Webster as an appointed chairperson.
Within the campus improvements portion of the presentation, Yeffet and Grasso’s plan also included streamlining student organization profits, which went hand in hand with Student Body Treasurer Jayce Victor and Michaels’ Student Organization Fundraising Bill.
The bill changes the language of the financial codes to discourage student organizations from opening outside bank accounts. Victor said these external accounts can conflict with the Internal Revenue Service’s audits of UF.
Michaels said clarifying the language in the bill is “something that a lot of student organizations, especially sports groups, have been asking for for a while.”
Sen. Michael Christ commended Grasso and Yeffet on their plan.
A version of this story ran on page 9 on 11/6/2013 under the headline "Senate approves old bills, discusses plan for legislative year"
Senate Pro-Tempore Elliot Grasso and Senate President Cory Yeffet unveil their legislative agenda plan at Tuesday night’s Student Senate meeting.
