Last week in Senate
Vice President Adilla Jamaludin called the April 20 ASUCD Senate meeting to order at 6:10 p.m. at the Memorial Union. All 12 senators were present.
The meeting began with the introduction of Jin Zhang, a third-year economics and international relations double major, who was recommended by President Josh Dalavai to fill the open controller position. Although Zhang has not worked with ASUCD before, she had an impressive resume, according to Dalavai. She has worked with the treasury department in Washington, D.C. and investment firms in Sacramento. Zhang was confirmed with no objections.
Next, Daniel Feinberg, a third-year environmental policy major, and Daniel Graves, a first-year genetics major, were confirmed as Environmental Policy and Planning Commissioners with no objections.
Dalavai gave a short speech commending the previous Controller Joseph DeAngelo, a fourth-year economics and political science major, for his exemplary work in the Senate.
Dalavi announced the status of legislation previously passed by Senate. Everything was signed except for Senate Bill #76, which does not require the American flag to be in the room during Senate meetings, which Dalavai said will be seen next week.
Senate discussed Bill #81, which would amend the bylaws to specify when ASUCD unit directors are hired. The amendment’s purpose is to clarify the specific time of year unit directors are hired. The bill will set the precedent of hiring ASUCD unit directors (except that of Picnic Day, Office of Advocacy and Student Representation and Whole Earth Festival) no later than the fifth week of Winter Quarter. Senator Daniel Nagey called the bill into question. The bill was passed with no objections.
The Senate voted on Senate Bill #82 which would amend sections 705 A and B of ASUCD’s bylaws. The amendments will ensure there will be Senate representation in the interviewing committees for ASUCD representatives at Academic Senate and Administrative Advisory Committees. Currently, senators are not regularly assigned to committees. This amendment will increase Senate representation and eliminate potential time conflicts between senators and committee schedules. The bill passed with no objections.
Next, voting took place on whether to allocate $1638.48 of Senate reserves for UC Mental Health Awareness Month stickers and programs. This May will be the first time ASUCD is coordinating efforts to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month, championed by Senator Samantha Chiang, who organized UC Davis’ first Mental Health Conference last Winter Quarter. The bill originally allotted $449 for 2000 3” x 3” stickers and the remaining $1189.48 to cover 5” x 8.5” programs. Chiang’s request would remove 20 percent of the remaining Senate reserves.
After questions regarding the necessity of so many pamphlets and the potential to find a more reasonably priced supplier, Chiang admitted to not having the time or energy to thoroughly look into other suppliers. Chiang urged the senators to make a decision tonight so pamphlets and stickers could be ordered promptly. After a lengthy discussion the bill was amended to cover only 700 programs and the amended bill passed with no objections.
Students representing Environmental Justice for Underrepresented Communities (EJUC) gathered and implored senators to pass their resolution, which demands the topic of environmental justice become a required part of the environmental policy and planning major curriculum at UC Davis. Their resolution demanded short-term actions to make environmental justice classes more accessible to students and to develop an environmental justice track within the major. Additionally, the EJUC highlighted its long-term goal of establishing an environmental justice major at UC Davis.
“I don’t think I want to learn how to derive economically efficient ways to quantify people and the environment without critical discussion on who profits from doing so, which communities will be most affected by these equations and discussions and without recognizing the historic and continued marginalization and oppression of certain groups of people in the U.S. and abroad,” said Evan Steele, a fourth-year environmental planning and policy major and treasurer of EJUC.
The resolution was passed with a vote of 9-0-3.
Rosy Martinez, a third-year human development major, was confirmed as the Pantry unit director with no objections.
During public discussion, Mayor Robb Davis came to speak to senators about their successful turnout at the Davis city council meeting regarding the housing crisis and difficulty for lower income students to secure housing. Davis applauded senators for bringing the issue to the council and expressed confidence in the city’s relationship with the Senate.
Written by: Ally Russell — campus@theaggie.org
