The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico held its first full senate meeting of the spring semester Wednesday, Jan. 29 — though it was hardly full, as many members were absent due to the date coinciding with UNM Day at the New Mexico capitol.
The senate’s repeated close calls in pursuit of the required quorum — ⅔ of sitting senate members present — have been discussed previously by ASUNM Vice President Mutazz Jaber. ASUNM’s newest President Pro Tempore, Bailey Rutherford, led the meeting in Jaber’s stead in their official capacity, having been elected at last semester’s final meeting when Sen. Hope Montoya’s term ended.
The meeting’s guest speakers were Assistant Vice President of Campus Business Services Alicia Solano and UNM Bookstores Director Lisa Walden. Their presentation focused on the upcoming Equitable Access textbook program, including its development at UNM, pricing options and planned launch in the upcoming fall semester.
A virtual town hall on the topic was held the following afternoon.
The first appropriation and the first bill of the semester passed. The appropriation requested funding from the UNM student chapter of the American Choral Directors Association to attend a national convention. The bill clarifies the term length for a president pro tempore.
In a message read aloud to the assembly, ASUNM President Anthony Tomaziefski expressed his regret for having to miss the evening’s meeting. But he said he was hopeful that efforts at the capitol lobbying for improvements to Johnson Field and other legislative initiatives would not go unnoticed by state government leaders.
The next full ASUNM Senate meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Elliott Wood is a freelance reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. They can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
