A Senator led the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Student Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hillert swore in the newly elected Black Student Union members. They are Cornelius Troy, BSU President; Patrice Harris, BSU Vice President; Michael Bailey, BSU Treasurer and Jana’y Johnson, BSU Secretary.

Moment of Silent Reflection:

MEMBERS PRESENT (First Roll Call): Senators Alexander, Arntson-Kynn, Atkins, Benson, Bevil, Born, Charlemagne, Colley, Copeland, Crabtree, Cuyler, Daniels, Dawson, DuBosar, Eliadis, English, Fasano, Z. Fisher, Goins, Guiddy, Heartley, Howard, James, B. Kushner, L. Kushner, LaCroix, A. Malone, P. Malone, Misita, Mitchell, Mook, Oliver, Ondriska, Pierre, Piskernik, Seifter, Slade, Sokos, Velasquez.

MEMBERS ABSENT: (First Roll Call): Senators Auger, Barbas, Cardenas, B. Fisher, Greb, Hall, Omega, Patterson, Sexton, Simmons, Tomlinson, Toole, Vigilant, Whitter, Wilson, Yeager.

MEMBERS TARDY/LATE (First Roll Call): Senators Jackson (7:37), Kaufman (8:35), Loe (8:59), Parks (9:45).

Corrections: None.

Student Comments: Kimmie Copley, of the Governor’s Office for Interns, told the Senate that they have an opportunity to get involved in county and state government and the political races. She introduced Jon Conley who is running for the School Board District 4 seat. Conley  told the Senate that working on a campaign is a great learning environment and you also get to meet people in the community. He invited the Senate to come out on Saturday to the Walmart on Thomasville Road where they will be gathering signatures for his petition to get on the ballot. He mentioned that this time can be used for serve script hours for the required community serve hours needed for your transcript. Joe O’Shea, former Student Body President, asked the Senate to support Bill 30 to buy membership in PeaceJam, which was founded by Nobel Prize Laureates.  He said a noble prize winner will come to campus once a year for a week and talk on current issues, and FSU will be the first university to give money for this effort. Robert White, Rugby Club President, thanked the Senate for the money to go to the tournament. He said there were 12 teams and FSU finished third. Tereza Holikova, President FSU University Orchestra College of Music, told the Senate they want to purchase a camera for students to use to practice and for auditions. Gina Pingalore, CPE Director, introduced a worker from the Coalition of Immokolee who works in the tomato industry harvesting tomatoes. He said that they are facing sweatshop conditions and they work 10-12 hour days, they have no health benefits, no right to overtime pay, and they live 12-15 people per trailer. He said there is a national campaign to large corporations to take responsibility and so far Taco Bell and McDonald’s is in the process of a dialogue of agreement and they are  calling on Burger King to take responsibility also.

Special Introductions and Announcements: Dr. Nancy Marcus, Dean of Graduate Studies thanked Senator Seifter for inviting her to speak at Senate.  She told the Senate that she is a professor in Oceanography and that FSU is an extensive research university, where faculty and graduate students are engaged in research together.  She told the Senate that they can intern or volunteer to be a part of research at FSU. Marcus said that graduate students are essential to the university and they are also future scholars. Dr. Lisa Plowfield, Dean of Nursing, said that there is a nursing shortage and they are maximizing the number of students they can educate and they need to do reorganization to put into place a safe education for students and clients.  She said they cannot manpower a curriculum when you do not have the teachers or faculty, and this is not a budget issue, it is a clinical issue, and the number of nurses retiring exceeds the number of nurses left, and she is not aware that advisors are telling students to change majors and she wants students to meet with the associate dean and work something out.  Plowfield said that it is a competitive admission process and there is not a guarantee that a student will get into nursing and everyone should have a back-up plan.

Messages from the Executive Branch: Laymon Hicks, Student Body President, told the Senate that the Executive Office raised $150 for a tree to be donated in remembrance of the Virginia shootings, and they are asking Senate to help in their efforts to raise $300 for the tree. He wished the Senators good luck on the finals.

Messages from Agency and Bureau Directors, and SGA Organization Officers and Employees: Keenan Mahoney, IRHC Assistant Director, announced that IRHC Award recipients. They are: Hall President, Kelly-Ann Fasano; Board Member, Ashley Friedrich, Executive, Katherine Ritchie and Non Executive, Brain Wolford.

Messages from the Congress of Graduate Students: Jim Baratta, Financial Officer, told the Senate that he and John Lynn, Member-at-Large, came on behalf of the COGS Speaker Jason Fishbein. Lynn told the Senate that they are hiring a part time assistant and they also need to make up the difference that Starlight Childcare Center is getting, since they were given $30,000 last year from Senate and only $15,000 this year, and they need Senate to make up the difference.  Baratta said that the students that use Starlight are mostly single mothers and they have a lot of respect for those mothers, because they are coming back to school to try and better themselves. He said that COGS strongly supports Starlight and they will probably look at their RSOs to get some of the money.

Messages from the Senior Class Council: Jill Chandler, Senior Class President, told the Senate that they passed out chips and drinks to Seniors today in the Union, to remind them to get their cap and gown.

Messages from the Judicial Branch: None.

Messages from the Union Board: Sadie Molinet, Union Board Chair, congratulated Seniors Brett Kushner and David Loe on a job well done.

Messages from Campus Recreation: Adam Fox, Chair of the Rec Board, gave the Senate invitations to eat at Chilis, and told them to thank Randy Clay, an employee of Aramark for the invitations.

Report of the Student Body Auditor: As of April 15, 2008, Senate  Projects is $11,480.19.

Committee Reports:

Student Affairs-Vice Chair Rachel Crabtree told the Senate that members of the committee volunteered at the President’s Ice Cream Social.

Budget-Chair Eleni Sokos made a motion to go into Committee of the Whole to hear Bill 33 and a budget revision for American Medical Women’s Association. The Senate passed Bill 33 to Second Reading and the budget amendment was failed by a vote of yes-15, no-18.

Finance-As reported in the Calendar.

Judiciary-As reported in the Calendar.

Internal Affairs-The Senate interviewed and passed David Beck for Sports Club Council Chair. 

Rules and Calendar-Chair Brett Kushner announced that Senator Whitter has been suspended for absences. Kushner officially resigned as Pro Tempore.  He said that the committee passed Resolutions 37 and 38. 

Senate Confirmations: David Beck for Sports Club Council Chair, Cornelius Troy, BSU President; Patrice Harris, BSU Vice President; Michael Bailey, BSU Treasurer and Jana’y Johnson, BSU Secretary. BSU Officers were sworn in by the Chief Justice, not confirmed by the Senate.

Consent Calendar:

Bill 35-Sponsored by Senator Benson. A revision of $250 within Orchestra from Contractual Services to OCO. Purpose: to purchase a camera for concert recording and audition purposes.

PASSED.

Bills First Reading:

Bill 25-Sponsored by Senators Richards, Paul and James. A revision to the Student Body Statutes Chapter 612. Purpose: to make the Golden Tribe Lecture Series an initiative of the Senior Class Council. LAID ON THE TABLE 3-26-08.

Bill 34-Sponsored by Senator Benson. A revision to the Student Body Statutes Chapter 701.1 A.  Purpose: to further define campaigning in the Elections Code. REFERRED TO JUDICIARY.

Bill 37-Sponsored by Senator Benson. A revision of $1,197.00 within the Institute for Conservative Studies from Contractual Services to OCO. Purpose: to purchase a new computer for their office. REFERRED TO FINANCE.

Bills Second Reading:

Bill 30-Sponsored by Senator Cole. A transfer of $4,500 from Senate Projects to SGA Administration. Purpose: to cover the annual contract necessary to allow FSU membership in Peace Jam, a coalition of Noble Peace Laureates. PASSED.

Bill 32-Sponsored by Senator James. A revision to the   Student Body Statutes Chapter 612. Purpose: to make the Golden Tribe Lecture Series a partnership with the Senior Class Council, Student Senate and the Executive Branch. PASSED.

Bill 33-Sponsored by Senators Seifter, Cole and Kaufman. A revision to the Student Body Statutes Chapters 903 and 904. Purpose: to delete these chapters from the statutes and create a new Chapter 903, creating the Student Resource Center. PASSED.

Bill 36-Sponsored by Senator Fasano. A revision of $22,000  within Sports Club Council from Salaries to Expense. Purpose: to pay for teams going to nationals and to have money to recruit a new assistant director. PASSED.

Constitutional Amendments:                            

Constitutional Amendment 1 (one)-Sponsored by Senator Lightner.  Adding Article X, Sections 1, 2,3 and 4. Unequivocal protections for all of the members of the student body within the Student Body Constitution in a way that will not infringe upon the Expressive or Associative Rights of students or student organizations. CHIEF JUSTICE HILLERT EXPLAINED THE COURTS ADVISORY OPINION. THE AMENDMENT IS NOW REFERRED TO FINANCE AND JUDICIARY.

Constitutional Amendment 2 (two)-Sponsored by Senators Harrison, Toole and Entine.  Adding Article V, Section 8. Clarifying what information shall appear on the official ballot of the student body elections. REFERRED TO STUDENT SUPREME COURT FOR AN ADVISORY OPINION.

Resolutions:                                  

Resolution 37-Sponsored by Senator Kushner.

Subject: Amending the Rules of Procedure  Rule 5.05.

PASSED.

Resolution 38-Sponsored by the Rules and Calendar Committee.

Subject: Amending the Rules of Procedure Rule 10.01.

PASSED.

Resolution 40-Sponsored by Senator Benson.

Subject: Endorsing Senate Bill 2970.

PASSED.

Unfinished Business: None.

New Business: After the Rules and Calendar report and the resignation of Pro Tempore Brett Kushner, the floor was open for nominations for a new Senate Pro Tempore. Senators Richard Benson and Bobby Seifter were nominated. Senator Eleni Sokos was also nominated, but declined the nomination. Senator Bobby Seifter was elected as the Senate Pro Tempore.

Closing Announcements: None taken.

FINAL ROLL CALL: Present: Senators Alexander, Arntson-Kynn, Atkins, Benson, Bevil, Born, Charlemagne, Colley, Copeland, Cuyler, Daniels, DuBosar, English, Fasano, Z. Fisher, Goins, Heartley, Howard, James, B. Kushner, L. Kushner, A. Malone, P. Malone, Misita, Mitchell, Mook, Ondriska, Parks, Piskernik, Seifter, Velasquez. Absent: Senators Auger, Barbas, Cardenas, Crabtree, Dawson, Greb, Hall, Jackson, Kaufman, LaCroix, Loe, Oliver, Omega, Patterson, Pierre, Sexton, Simmons, Slade, Sokos, Tomlinson, Toole, Vigilant, Wilson, Yeager.

The meeting adjourned at 12:45 a.m.