Programs Finance Committee Sen. Colin Andries excused himself from a portion of Tuesday’s PFC meeting to represent the Student Bar Association as its business officer and to avoid what ASUO Sen. Ben Strawn perceived as a conflict of interest.
The decision over the Student Bar Association’s budget had been tabled Jan. 22 when other PFC senators expressed concern over a potential conflict of interest because Andries had written the budget as the SBA’s business officer. To avoid the conflict, Andries abstained from the vote.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Andries accused the committee of being “almost discriminatory” in the process because it refused to give the SBA the massive increases it was seeking.
The $9,756 allocation is a 0.7 percent decrease from the previous year.
The budgets of the Oregon Law Students Public Interest Forum, the Non-Traditional Student Union, the Public Relations Student Society of America, Students for Choice, Pit Crew, Pre-Dental Club, Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Women’s Law Forum and the OutLaws were also passed at the meeting.
OLSPIF passed its budget with relatively few snags. The group received $1,383, a 10.8 percent increase.
The Non-Traditional Student Union went next, and its budget of $5,065 passed unanimously with an 8.8 percent increase and a $214 increase from the Executive recommendation.
“To come away with an 8.8 percent increase is a really big benefit,” NSU Director Steven Burns said.
This year was the first year that PRSSA sought funding from the PFC. Its $646 budget, a 115.3 percent increase, includes funding to subsidize costs for students to attend a public relations conference in New York City.
Students for Choice received a 15.4 percent increase for its budget of $2,541. The group plans to use the funding to bring several speakers to campus.
The Pit Crew received a 127.7 percent increase for a total budget of $1,845. The large increase created a new stipend for the Pit Crew president and increased community outreach activities. The representatives expressed the need for strong leadership because the Pit Crew is such a visible group.
The recently resurrected Pre-Dental Club was next. The group received $266 — a 29.76 increase — to bring in speakers and provide other resources for students who plan to attend dental school.
SETA, currently the only animal rights group in Eugene, received $871, a 12.5 percent increase. The budget included $400 to fund talks by speakers about the subject of animal exploitation.
The Women’s Law Forum received $5,370, a 3.9 percent increase. Much of the money will go toward community outreach, including “Dress for Success,” a program that collects old suits for low-income women trying to get into the workforce.
Outlaws, the law student organization that works to further the civil and legal rights of the LGBT community, rounded out the evening. The group was allocated $5,227 — a 26.6 percent increase — for a number of conferences, speakers and panels.