Thursday the newly elected legislative branch of the Student Government Association met for the first time, led by Speaker of the Senate Ryan Flamerich. After opening the meeting with topics such as old business and executive branch introductions, the senators proposed and discussed the executive branch salaries for the 2011-2012 year.
Every year, the executive branch of the SGA recommends a specific salary to the senators to be reviewed and voted on. Although the executive branch makes the recommendation, it is ultimately the senate that will make the final decision regarding the salary.
“SGA salaries are in the financial affairs committee,” Flamerich said. “Senators will have a week to determine their opinion on it and then send their concerns to the committee, who will make any changes and then afterward they will be sent to the senate, where we will either approve or deny it.”
“As far as each individual salary, I feel like each role needs to be assessed for what it says,” Sen. John Brinkerhoff said. “It’s the role of the senate to provide oversight for those positions. Part of the increase is because of new positions being created within the SGA, like the speaker of the senate. He will be getting paid $75, according to the proposal by Grant Cochran.
“It’s my knowledge that both the speaker and the secretary, the two paid positions in the senate, will be donating their salaries to FAC,” Brinkerhoff said.
“If student organizations do not get the necessary funding from the FAC general fund over this year, I will donate my salary to the general fund,” Flamerich said after the meeting. “That’s in the event that the senate approves the executive salaries next week.”
Although the issue will not be officially voted on until next week, the potential salaries were each read aloud. After the proposal was read through, several senators had questions about the details of the salaries.
One senator asked why the SGA president and the speaker of the senate would be getting a salary for a full 12 months rather then the partial pay periods like the other executive members.
“The president actually operates for the full 12 months and will be required to be here over the summer and the speaker of the senate will also be operating during the summer sessions during the months of May, June and July,” Flamerich said. “The rest of the executive branch will only be here for nine or 10 months.”
The salaries’ combined total would add up to $26,625. The highest paid position would go to Grant Cochran, the SGA president, at $250 a month for 12 months.
Through the course of the meeting, the senate was able to complete 26 pieces of new business.
“Last week, I was elected so we didn’t do much at that meeting,” Flamerich said. “This was our first meeting where this was a completely legislative controlled session. I think it was very successful. We passed more legislation during this meeting than any other meeting that I can think of in my time as a senator or even in my knowledge of senators past.”
Flamerich explained his enthusiasm for the upcoming term.
“I’m really impressed by the group of senators that have been elected,” he said. “They are hardworking, and I look forward to working with them this entire year. It really is going to be a great year.”
