The ASUO Programs Finance Committee voted Thursday to reinstate funding for travel to legislative conferences through the ASUO Executive budget for the coming school year, a decision President Sam Dotters-Katz promised to veto.
The PFC originally decided to strike funds allocated for travel to the Oregon Student Association and United States Student Association conferences from the budget. The change was made at Dotters-Katz’s behest because he questioned the manner in which students have been selected for the conferences and the work done at them.
The original vote was made in the absence of ASUO Sen. Carina Miller, who said it “would have turned out differently” if she had not been in Warm Springs, Ore., to attend a family emergency. At a subsequent hearing, Miller, who serves on the USSA Board of Directors, encouraged the PFC to recall the budget, which it did after a motion by PFC programs representative Tran Vo.
Several prominent figures within student government appeared at Thursday’s hearing to speak on behalf of the conferences, questioning the motives of Dotters-Katz’s request.
“Contrary to your analysis, you have to be transparent in what you’re doing,” Matt Rose , former finance coordinator for Emily McLain’s administration, told ASUO Vice President Johnny Delashaw.
Former ASUO vice president and current USSA outreach officer Chii-San SunOwen said, “It’s basically taking away the money students worked for, organized for and fundraised for.”
After Delashaw and Dotters-Katz stated their intention to veto the budget if it contained money for travel to the conferences, Rose and former Sen. Diego Hernandez reminded the committee it could override the veto with a two-third majority.
Miller, who sits on the PFC, first claimed she would abstain from voting on the budget to avoid a conflict of interest because of her USSA position, although SunOwen said there would be no conflict because Miller is not paid by USSA. When Miller’s name was called with the vote standing at two in favor of reinstating the conferences and one opposed, she voted to continue funding them.
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ASUO votes to reinstate travel funding
Daily Emerald
February 15, 2009
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