SGA considers Greek Life funding bills
By: Jonah Lewis, SGA Reporter
The Towson University Student Government Association general assembly passed a pair of bills Tuesday which would give financial aid to registered student organizations who are unable to become SGA budgeted organizations during a given semester.
The two bills, Senate Bill #5 and Senate Bill #6 respectively, were authored by Sen. Sean McGuire and Sen. Steven White.
Senate Bill #5 creates a Student Organization and Greek Life Recruitment Grant, which allots money to organizations and Greek life chapters that cannot become SGA budgeted in a given semester. This money would be used for recruitment, and cannot exceed $250.
Senate Bill #6, which establishes how the money will be distributed, creates five different lines of funding for each of the Greek life governing bodies on campus: Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Panhellenic Council, Multicultural Greek Council, and Independent Greek Council.
“The biggest thing when I wrote this bill was, how do I split up five ways and still somewhat make it equal and fair among all five councils?” White said about the funding avenue bill. “The clauses and end-of-line clauses in there on how the decisions will be made next year for these budget line items, when we put money in them, is based off of a fair way where all five councils have somewhat agreed, and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life has agreed as well.”
White introduced another pair of bills, Senate Bills #7 and #8, which were almost identical in nature. These bills sought to abolish the Grant Review Committee and create a Senate Oversight Committee.
Some members of the assembly expressed worry that the committee’s power could be used irresponsibly.
“I see the need for it, but I do have a concern that this committee would be weaponized against certain SGA members, say if there’s a conflict or something,” Director of Legislative Affairs Isaiah Thaxton said.
White defended the bills by saying that any part of the government with power could be weaponized, so there is no cause for concern with this committee.
The assembly deliberated for nearly half an hour over the bills, voting to deny S.B. #7. Following this, White motioned to strike both bills.
“I feel that [the bill] is not going to pass either, which I’m ok with, and I was ok with the other one not passing too,” said White. “I actually came into this meeting knowing that neither of these were probably going to pass.”
