Student Council unanimously passed a bill last night that encourages people running for student government positions to practice responsible campaign spending. The bill created a petition that candidates may sign and thereby pledge to abide by Council's recommendation. Candidates are not required to sign the petition, however.\nThe Diversity Initiatives Committee drafted the Resolution to Promote Responsible Spending Campaign with the intention of creating a more inclusive atmosphere for University students with limited financial means and of varied socioeconomic backgrounds, Diversity Initiatives Co-Chair Carrie Filipetti said.
The resolution states "candidate expenditures within University Board of Elections have trended upward within the past five years."
Although the resolution does not put a cap on campaign spending, it does ask candidates to be mindful with their budgets to ensure equal opportunities for all students.\n"Caps are not constitutional," Student Council President Colin Hood said. "It's the same as personal finance rules in Congress. This [resolution will] only be encouraging."\nHood added that although Council does not intend to "police" candidates, it is usually in their best interest to sign the petition if their opponents do.
The resolution offers guidelines for four different tiers of spending. The first applies to Student Council President, which stands at $200. The guideline for Student Council Vice President for Organizations, Student Council Vice President for Administration, and College of Arts & Sciences representatives for the Honor Committee, Judiciary Committee and Student Council is $150. The bill recommends $100 for class councils, trustees and Engineering School representatives for the Honor Committee, Judiciary Committee and Student Council. Lastly, $25 is the maximum for Honor Committee non-College and non-Engineering School representatives, UJC non-College and non-Engineering School representatives, Student Council non-College and non-Engineering School Representatives, Architecture Design Council positions, Commerce Council positions, Education School Council positions, Engineering Student Council positions and Nursing Council positions.
Those amounts include all sources of campaign funding, from University Board of Elections campaign grants to out-of-pocket expenditures. Those who sign the petition will agree to stay within the ranges recommended.
"There will be an e-mail sent out to every candidate asking to sign the petition," Hood said. The signatures would then be put on the Student Council website for the student body to see.
Additionally, candidates do not need to report campaign costs of under $15 - an increase from the $5 minimum last year, Hood said.
The bill comes a year after Honor Committee representative hopeful Adam Michel spent $466 in his campaign efforts.
"A lot of the essence is [current spending levels] are just not necessary," Hood said. "You spend more because your opponent spends more and it's just a vicious cycle."
The Diversity Initiatives Committee's will next draft the petition for candidates.
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