The Undergraduate Student Government approved the language for a student vote Tuesday night that would allow a new student fee to support the Arizona Public Interest Research Group.
If approved at the end of the month, the $1.50-per-student, per-semester fee would aid the student-run nonprofit organization that promotes political and charitable activism on college campuses.
Two bills were considered at Tuesday night’s Senate meeting — one to approve the language of the referendum and a new bill for USG to support the referendum results.
The Senate teetered back and forth on whether to table the former bill.
The bill describes PIRG as an “organization that works to protect our environment, make college affordable, increase the youth vote and end hunger and homelessness.”
USG President Brendan O’Kelly dissented with the student government’s final decision, saying the approved referendum language would lead students on, making them want to vote for the fee whether or not they really supported PIRG.
“A $1.50 fee to end homelessness — who would say no to that?” O’Kelly said.
Jason Donofrio, president of students for Arizona PIRG, disagreed with O’Kelly and said it was the same language used in a UA referendum.
“All it’s doing is stating the issue we work on,” Donofrio said.
Chris Fennessey, vice president of services, argued that with so much disagreement about the language of the referendum, it deserved to be reworked.
“Just send it back to the [University Affairs] committee so they can figure it out and send it back to us,” he said.
After more than an hour of debate, the bill was approved by a 9-4 vote, and the new referendum bill was sent on to the University Affairs committee.
In 2008, USG redirected $200,000 originally meant for PIRG after concerns arose about the legality of funding an activist group.
Since then, PIRG has continued to seek funding from USG.
Last fall, PIRG requested a portion of the $50 student activities fee, but senators objected, O’ Kelly said.
“I think that money should remain in the hands of students,” he said.
The $1.50-per-semester, per-student fee is a separate fee that would go directly toward PIRG funding and could be refunded at a student’s request.
PIRG is currently speaking with each of ASU’s student governments about the constitutionality of running a referendum. Each government has specific rules in order for a referendum to take place.
Donofrio said both the West and Polytechnic campuses need 10 percent of their students to sign a petition in order to hold a referendum.
The West campus has nothing in its constitution concerning a petition, he said.
The Tempe campus already held a campus-wide petition last semester. PIRG needed to receive signatures from at least 25 percent of the number of students who voted in the last student-government elections.
PIRG received more than 3,000 signatures, Donofrio said, which was more than the required amount.
The language of the referendum approved Tuesday night will also appear on future petitions, he said.
Donofrio said PIRG hopes to hold the referendum at the end of February.
“We want this to be a collective decision,” he said.
According to the legislation, PIRG needs a majority of students to approve the fee in the referendum; and if a majority of all ASU students are in favor of the fee, USG agrees to support it.
USG and PIRG will then take the legislation to the Arizona Board of Regents in order to approve the fee.
Donofrio said he wants more than a majority, because he doubts ABOR will agree to the fee without an overwhelming majority.
“Our goal is 70 percent,” he said.
It is PIRG’s responsibility to educate students on the group and what they are trying to do in order to receive student support, Donofrio said.
“No one wants to pay for a fee,” he said.
Reach the reporter at kjdaly@asu.edu
