In the most recent Student Government Association senate meeting, members discussed free menstrual products for students, along with changes to budget disclosures.
In an effort to help reduce on-campus period poverty, senator Allyson Campos proposed a partnership with Campus Cup, which distributes menstrual cups on college campuses.
“Campus Cup is a company that is dedicated to not only making periods more sustainable, but more accessible to students, as many students on our campus face the harsh realities of period poverty,” Campos said.
Senator Issac Benedict focused on the educational aspect of menstrual cups and period poverty, stating the severity of it and how it affects students.
“The average yearly cost, this is also (from) Healthline, for feminine products could be $150 or more a year,” Benedict said. “And basically pre-tax minimum wage, it would take roughly 21 hours of work to afford feminine products.”
Others, like senator Colin Campbell, needed clarification on some of the terminology used in the resolution.
“I thought the wording of this bill was a little confusing,” Campbell said. “I’m not sure who ‘people who menstruate’ are, I’m assuming you meant women.”
Campbell also stated that housing and food are other taxed necessities, and that students attending college are likely to already have access to menstrual products.
“I feel like people have the privilege to come here, wouldn’t you say they also probably, where they’re going to get their next menstrual pad isn’t their first problem,” Campbell said. “And don’t you think these resources could be better used for the actual impoverished people of Houston?”
While the resolution was tabled to the next meeting, if approved, SGA will volunteer with Campus Cup to distribute the resources, at no cost to the association or students. Educational material regarding how to properly use and care for menstrual cups would also be handed out.
After discourse surrounding proxy votes in the previous meeting, the Proxy Voting Update Bill aims to prevent conflicts of interest when using proxy votes during confirmations and appointments. After Wednesday night’s first read, the bill was sent to the committee.
“I decided to sponsor this bill and I think my decision was, when I’m voting for someone else, I’m trying to vote in their interests and it’s very difficult for me, if I was going up for appointment, to separate my interests of being appointed from their interests of making the best decision,” said chair of the internal affairs committee and law senator, Mikel Moore.
The senate unanimously voted in favor of passing the Adjustment to the Budget Procedures bill, which allows purchases over $1,500 to be subject to review, along with both the president and speaker reporting purchases over $500 at the next scheduled meeting.