The Student Association Senate approved 70 budgets for the SA- recognized organizations at Sunday’s meeting.

The senate approved every budget the finance committee recommended, with the exception of the Residence Hall Association. RHA’s budget was allocated almost $12,000 more than the finance committee recommended.

The SA was given a projection from NIU of a fee allocation of $1,384,000 in student fees. According to the Student Activity Fee Allocation budget from SA Treasurer Shaun Crisler, the committee reached a total recommended allocation of $1,340,945 for next year, but was given $1,346,000 to work with initially by Crisler. With the additional recommended allocation to the RHA budget, the number increased to $1,352,852.

Despite the need to approve each organization’s budget, the allocations were preceded by more than four hours of debate, centering on whether or not SA Sen. Jeff Meyer was indeed the new senate speaker.

A challenge was made regarding the election held during the last senate meeting. At that meeting, Meyer was elected to the position of senate speaker in a vote of 18-16.

Last week, two voting senators, Frank Rodgers and Janet Rodriguez, were determined to be ineligible voters who participated in the election. They were absent from too many meetings, and former senate speaker Frank Woodin determined their votes did not count.

Also, two separate agendas had been posted for Sunday’s meeting, one from Meyer, who claimed to be the current speaker, and one from Woodin.

Woodin’s agenda was similar to Meyer’s, except that Woodin’s included a section to provide for deliberation for speaker candidates and a new election for the position to be held at Sunday’s meeting.

Essentially, Woodin’s claim was that based on the ineligibility of the two voters, the previous vote was ineligible and a re-election would take place.

John Acardo, presiding SA president pro tempore, ruled the body would proceed with the agenda as is and commenced with a re-election.

“I do not believe this body has the authority to hold this election,” said Bertrand Simpson, associate director of University Programming and Activities and adviser for the SA senate.

Simpson assisted in the new vote count, but did so under protest.

With a vote of 17-9-2, Senator Andrew Nelms was elected as speaker.

Immediately after the vote, the SA moved to consideration of a resolution to appreciate the work of the RHA and its members.

Meyer, under his assumed authority as speaker, used his power to immediately move the resolution to the Internal Affairs committee.

The question then was raised by members of the senate as to whether or not Meyer ever was the speaker.

“I honestly don’t have a clue who the speaker is,” Simpson said. “Right now, Mr. Chairperson, I am confused.”

After deliberation, Acardo determined the senate did not have a speaker and proceeded on with the rest of the meeting.