The SGA Senate passed a bill and constitutional amendment removing all mentions of former DEI committees in the First Year Council and Senate and other DEI positions from the code of laws and constitution, replacing the references with terminology relating to the Belonging and Wellness committee. The bill also closed the Black Student Leadership Council.
The legislation was first mentioned at the Senate’s previous meeting.
These changes come in order to comply with Senate Bill 129, which prohibits public institutions like the University from sponsoring or funding DEI programs.
“I understand the frustration, but hope is not gone,” said Jeffery Ford, head of the Belonging and Wellness committee. “We’re going to continue as a Student Government Association body to keep fighting for those individuals, and ultimately our fight for you and hearing your voices and letting your voices be heard — that is what’s going to create a safe space in itself.”
The Senate also passed a resolution to provide free laundry for some students, an act banning plastic non-biodegradable confetti, and a resolution for the University to implement a bereavement policy.“There are around 1,600 Pell students in the freshman class, and they’re going to be given one or two free loads of laundry per week,” said Senator John Michael Chandash, author of the free laundry resolution.
Chandash said the act came from his own struggles.
“I’m a FAFSA kid myself, and it always made me feel really bad to have to ask my parents for $10 a week to do laundry,” he said.
He said this was especially important because of high poverty rates in the South.
“In some counties in Alabama and especially Mississippi and other neighboring states, 30% or more are making under $15,000. You just can’t send your kids that money for them to be able to do laundry, especially $500 a year, $700 a year,” Chandash said.
Senator Hannon Bulger, author of the act to ban non-biodegradable confetti, said plastic confetti, which is often thrown around during the Walk of Champions, is having a negative impact on the campus. She said because the plastic never breaks down, it blows into the grass and harms the landscaping as well as squirrels who may be eating it.
“Biodegradable confetti will be made available at the SGA office and other areas that will be decided later”, Bulger said.
