The Undergraduate Student Government Senate rejected a resolution supporting a new Friday bus route on Oct. 10 after senators repeatedly attempted to adjust its phrasing.
USG President Adil Hussain proposed the resolution, which would support an initiative USG has pursued since the summer. Though senators generally supported it, they disagreed on wording.
Some senators were concerned that the bus route would contribute to the ongoing off-campus housing conflict between students and local homeowners in the residential area surrounding the university.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Steven Adelson argued that the resolution didn’t contain enough proof that the route would be beneficial. “This resolution would be much more credible to the transportation service if it included data,” he said.
Executive Vice President Mallory Rothstein recommended sending the transportation resolution back to the committee to be rewritten, but Sen. Jawad Mourabet moved to end the debate, forcing a yes or no vote.
Five senators supported the amended resolution, 14 opposed it and one senator abstained, killing the effort. Hussain agreed to re-introduce the resolution to the legislative review committee on Monday.
The Office of Transportation and Parking Operations, which will ultimately decide whether or not to implement a late night bus route, surveyed students on the issue last month. A resolution would add the direct support of the USG senate to survey results, which have not been released yet.
Vice President of Student Life Garry Lachhar proposed a policy that would require staff and press to carry credentials at USG events, but it was sent back to the vetting and communications committee. Senators debated for more than a half hour on whether or not it should be passed as an executive order, amendment to the USG code or as an amendment to the Student Activity Board bylaws.
Sen. Vincent Justiniano tabled a decision to approve two judicial candidates until the next meeting, when they would be competing with two other candidates for the three available positions in the supreme court.
The senate passed wages of $10 per hour for photographers and videographers in the newly created USG media agency. It also approved a provisional $121 budget for the mentoring club Older Siblings on Campus.
