The first Student Government Senate meeting of the Summer B term brought forth commotion, filibustering, and several approved executive nominations.
Student Body President Olivia Green reviewed 18 bills, approving 14 and vetoing four due to issues with legality, separation of powers or grammar.
The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the Senate holds hearings for each of the Big Five entities in the Summer to ensure funding continues to be spent in the best interest of the students.
With drama rivaling that of U.S. elected officials and a budget bigger than some small cities, UF Student Government can be exciting and intimidating for new students.
Senators spoke about issues surrounding bipartisanship, legislation and nominations that were or weren’t approved, and statements made at previous public comment sessions.
The UF Student Government Rules and Ethics Committee met June 17 for nearly four hours to consider the expulsion of Student Senate President Oscar Santiago Perez (Change-District D).
UF Student Body President Olivia Green issued an executive order recognizing Pride Month and supporting LGBTQ students at a June 13 Senate meeting.
Student Body President Olivia Green believes pride should be celebrated all year round, but she said June is a special month recognizing the individuals who fought for the queer community, honor their experiences and continue to advocate for their rights.
The UF Senate Chambers faces tensions and negotiations during an all-time high of political polarization from the executive nominations being held up for seven weeks.
Ben Shapiro will be coming to UF Oct. 18 rather than Oct. 25, according to a UF Young Americans for Freedom Instagram post.
The UF Student Government Judiciary Committee could not hear the 14 pieces of legislation and one nomination awaiting consideration as it continues to fail to meet quorum.
Senate President Oscar Santiago Perez (Change-District D) signed bills condemning attacks on higher education and creating a budget review act at the Senate meeting May 30.
The historic 2023 spring election, which caused a deadlocked Senate, has led to persistent issues in the Senate chambers.
UF Student Government senators passed a resolution condemning the state bills attacking diversity, equity and inclusion, and higher education but failed to approve replacement senators during the four-hour-long meeting May 23.
Student Government Senate leadership elections Tuesday evening marked the end to a monthlong political standoff, sparked by the Change Caucus gaining a Senate majority in the Spring SG elections.
The UF Student Government Supreme Court ruled Monday to disregard the April 4 election of Sen. Oscar Santiago Perez (Change-District D) as Senate president and prohibit the Senate from meeting until leadership from the Gator and Change Caucus sign an agreement on how the Senate plans to move past its turbulence.
Throughout the past few weeks, Change Caucus has accused the Gator Caucus of attempting to delay Senate leadership elections and reclaim a Senate majority with a perceived filibuster, quorum bust and resurrection of the retired Liberation Caucus.
Political turmoil in the UF Student Senate persists as the chamber failed to meet quorum Tuesday evening due to the absence of almost all Gator Caucus members. The seven-minute Senate meeting resulted in the delaying of Senate leadership elections for a second week.
The 94 senators at the chamber’s first meeting after Spring Break were supposed to elect a new Senate president, Senate pro-tempore and two members at large, per the Rules and Procedures of the Student Senate. This comes after the Change Caucus secured a majority in Spring elections.
Besides validating the Spring SG election results and hearing the speeches of outgoing senators, the chamber passed six pieces of legislation during the four-and-a-half-hour March 7 meeting.
Solutions by The State News
