North Texas Daily

The Student Government Association met Wednesday to discuss and eventually approve five pieces of emergency-status legislation, all of which were purchase proposals to pay for events or gifts for members.

“It was all about budget requests,” SGA Vice President David Muñoz-Sarabia said.

The senate has the power to approve, deny or modify all purchases exceeding $400, according to the SGA constitution. Each of the five bills addressed during the meeting requested between $500-$3,000, each pulled from various budgets.

S2022-B5, or “Hair-Art Expo,” was the first document on the agenda, submitted by Diversity and Inclusion Director Zoë Brown and SGA President Devon Skinner.

Skinner was listed as a co-sponsor on all of Wednesday’s bills in accordance with SGA rules stating either a senator or president must be listed on each piece of legislation.

“It’s just easier to have Devon sponsor the legislation than contacting outside,” Chief of Staff Casey Jimenez said.

The “Hair-Art Expo” legislation asked the senate to approve using $512 from the DI’s general programs budget to cover catering costs for an event centered around informing and celebrating hair for people of color.

The event, an SGA and Progressive Black Student Organization collaboration, is open to all university students and will also host three barbers from Bladesmith Barber School competing for “best haircut” voted on by attending students, according to the legislation.

“The business owners coming out are doing it free of charge, but they did ask if we could provide some type of food for them since they’ll be here for a little bit of time,” Brown said.

After amending the document slightly to correct minor typos, the legislation passed unanimously and the senate moved to the next item on the agenda.

S2022-B6, “SGA Committee Social,” was introduced by Skinner and Outreach Director Maya Stevens. The legislation asked for $596 from the committee’s budget to pay for breakfast catering for the event, which creates a chance for Advocacy, Eagle’s Nest and Raupe Committees to meet and socialize.

The legislation passed after the senate amended the document to correct some small typos.

S2022-B7, also called “The Intern Program Kinda COLD,” was submitted by Skinner, Intern Program Director Jermaine “JT” Turner and Jimenez to ask for approval to purchase specialized jackets for the SGA interns.

“I’m sure one of these days it’s going to get cold and they’ll want to wear it,” Turner said.

The jackets would have the SGA logo and seal printed on them and cost “around $900” as a bulk order, said Turner.

“I just want [the interns] to take something that’s tangible,” Turner said. “They can remember the intern program forever and ever.”

Following a short period of questioning, the bill passed unanimously.

The next piece of legislation was S2022-B8, titled “Y’all Tired of Us Yet?” The bill was submitted by Skinner and Jimenez, asking the senate to approve giving $3,000.00 from the Chief of Staff’s line-item budget to the executive branch to pay for the upcoming State of the Undergraduate Student Body event.

“It’s the equivalent of the State of the Union from the [U.S.] President, but in this case, it’s the State of the Undergraduate Student Body,” Jimenez said.

The costs, stated as “up to $3,000,” would cover reserving a parking lot, catering and “miscellaneous expenses,” according to the legislation. All leftover funds after the event would be given back into the SGA’s 2022 Fiscal Year budget.

“[The event] is a good farewell to this administration and, of course, welcoming the next administration,” Sarabia said.

After it passed unanimously, “Y’all Tired of Us Yet” was immediately followed by S2022-B9, “We Know You’re Not.”

The bill, submitted by Skinner, Jimenez and Student Allocations Director and Deputy Chief of Staff Bella Armenta, proposed using $4,500 from the Chief of Staff’s line item budget to organize the SGA’s annual banquet.

“It’s a time to go off with a bang going into the summer,” Jimenez said.

The purchase proposal for the banquet, an SGA members-only event, passed unanimously.

Featured Image: Vice President David Muñoz-Sarabia of the Student Government Association runs the meeting on March 23, 2022. Photo by Maria Crane