After a brief speech from SGA President officially dissolving the Hunter/Nelson cabinet of old, the new Senate confirmed all executive cabinet members in one sweeping vote before also confirming Senate Parliamentarian Colin Bennett, a junior majoring in aerospace engineering and physics.
After reconvening from committees, the Senate then discussed Act A-31 as its only piece of new business. The act, which was added to the docket 40 minutes before the start of the meeting, surprised Senator Aaron Hurd, a sophomore majoring in biology and math.
“I wish I would have seen [the Act] earlier so that I could have gotten some numbers together,” Hurd said.
Additionally, Hurd was one of two senators who voted against the act establishing a new pay scale for the SGA, saying that this job is a volunteer job and that compensating the SGA perpetuates the idea of career politicians.
“You signed up for this,” said Hurd. “You didn’t sign up to get paid.”
Finally, Hurd compared the Center for Service and Leadership with the SGA, arguing that since the volunteers of the Center for Service and Leadership are not paid for their service, SGA representatives should not be paid either.
“When I saw that they would give $12,500 to people who signed up to volunteer to do a service for their community, that they would be getting compensated for this, I don’t really agree with that,” Hurd said.
Additionally, Hurd was one of two senators who voted against the act establishing a new pay scale for the SGA, saying that this job is a volunteer job and that compensating the SGA perpetuates the idea of career politicians.
“You signed up for this,” said Hurd. “You didn’t sign up to get paid.”
Finally, Hurd compared the Center for Service and Leadership with the SGA, arguing that since the volunteers of the Center for Service and Leadership are not paid for their service, SGA representatives should not be paid either.
“When I saw that they would give $12,500 to people who signed up to volunteer to do a service for their community, that they would be getting compensated for this, I don’t really agree with that.”
Clay Gaddis, the vice president of financial affairs and a sophomore majoring in biology, said part of his job is to add a pay scale for directors and the Executive Cabinet as a reward for their hard work and as an incentive.
“It gives them the extra push that we need,” Gaddis said. “It also helps us hold them to a standard to say that we’re paying you and we expect you to do your job to the best of your ability.”
Gaddis said the Senate already provides the money in a line-item, so it would not detract from other programs.
“Every fiscal year we are allocated a budget,” Gaddis said. “The line item at the top has always been the executive salary line item.”
The Senate also met on April 12 in their first meeting of the legislative session, passing three pieces of legislation. The first piece of legislation passed was Act A-30 approving the organizational funding requests suggested by the Financial Affairs Committee for the month of April 2018 and for other purposes. Additionally, the Senate passed Resolution R-21 supporting the University of Alabama in becoming a bee-friendly campus. Finally, the Senate passed Bill B-11 adjusting the Board of Governors membership.
Order of Events (4/19/18)
- 2018-2019 Executive Cabinet Confirmed
- Colin Bennett confirmed for Parliamentarian
- The Senate broke into committees
- Act A-31 establishing a pay scale for the SGA was passed
