by Wendy J. Allyn

The SIUC Undergraduate Student Government reversed a student referendum last night, favoring a USG task force recommendation against an $18,000 student lobbying group membership.

Instead, the USG Senate voted in favor of a $1,000, one-year membership with the United States Student Association, a group which advocates students’ educational rights at the federal level.

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Senators passed a resolution to join the association with a limited membership at a lower cost than students called for in a Spring referendum. Students voted for a 50-cent-per-student fee increase to cover the proposed $18,000 membership.

The resolution also stipulates that another task force be established to review continuing membership with USSA on an annual basis.

USG President Duane Sherman said USG and the student body did not have enough details about USSA at the time of the referendum to cast an informed vote. Sherman also said the senate has the right to reverse a referendum.

USG nor the students who voted on the referendum did not know and could not have known what we know now, Sherman said.

After more than 30 days of reviewing the association’s policies and finances, the task force advised the senate to allocate only $1,000 to the lobbying group. Task force members said they did not see any additional benefits by spending $18,000.

USG Vice President Kim Clemens said the $1,000 will come out of the USG budget, rather than raising an additional student fee.

SIUC student Dan Piper, a USSA advocate, said he is disappointed the senate accepted the task force recommendation because the USG constituency was overruled. He said USG has fostered cynicism about student representation.

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A majority of students wanted the fee increase, Piper said. By the senate overruling the student body, they were saying, We don’t care what you vote for’.

USSA task force chair Robert Irby, who has been involved with the USSA issue since last year, said he is glad it has been settled.

I’m glad it’s over in the sense that now I can get involved with other committees, Irby said.