IUSA passes resolution to allow summer spending

The IU Student Association Congress passed a resolution last night allowing executive members to spend 15 percent of their budget during the summer.

Connor Shaw, IUSA press secretary and co-sponsor of the resolution, said the resolution was passed in an effort to allow executives to spend part of the budget during the summer for necessary expenses.

Shaw said IUSA is still technically in session during the summer; however the executive members do not have the power to spend money. Since the budget is not approved until the beginning of the semester, all previous summer spending violated the IUSA constitution.

Now, Shaw said, any spending during the summer will not be in violation of congressional bylaws.

“This year, for example, they had to spend money on the water for the tailgates field, parking passes, rent for the office, etcetera, all before the fall session began,” he said.

The IUSA budget will now be divided into two pieces, an initial 15 percent for summer spending, and a second section with the remaining 85 percent, Shaw said. Committee positions will also now be completed before the summer session, rather than after.

“IUSA execs always have spent money in the summer session, it was just technically against the rules,” he said. “We on IORC (IUSA Oversight and Reform Committee) just wanted to make the bylaws as written could be followed.”

— Holly Hays