The Programs Finance Committee voted to reconsider its controversial decision to strip student legislative conferences of their travel funding after current and former ASUO officers who had attended the conferences pleaded with them to hold another hearing.
The PFC’s original decision, made at a Jan. 29 meeting, was to remove transportation to conferences hosted by the Oregon Student Association and United States Student Association from the budget for the ASUO president’s office. ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz requested the move because he said it would help his successor finance student programs and combat cronyism within the ASUO.
The recall was requested by ASUO Sen. Carina Miller, who is a member of the PFC, and former ASUO Vice President Chii-San SunOwen. SunOwen, who coordinates OSA and USSA’s outreach efforts, said Dotters-Katz had kept secret his desire to remove the funding for OSA and USSA members. Miller said she missed the executive’s hearing to attend to a family emergency in Warm Springs, Ore.
“If I was here, this budget would have gone differently,” Miller said.
PFC member Grace Bounds predicted that the executive’s second meeting would drag for hours. Miller called Dotters-Katz’s request short-sighted.
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