Two students representing the Student Education Association requested the student senate’s assistance in acquiring transportation to a lobbying event for education majors.

Shahrukh Rahman and Amanda Bobka appealed to senate members at Wednesday’s meeting to arrange for interested participants to join other state schools in lobbying legislators on April 21.

Rahman said education majors make up approximately 62 percent of the undergraduate population at Eastern and that nearly 30 students have already approached him about attending the event.

Last year, 12 students were able to attend, though Rahman said more intended to participate but could not find transportation to Springfield.

Isaac Sandidge, student speaker of the senate, promised to notify Eric Wilber, executive vice president and chair of the student action team, whose arrival was delayed.

Michael Stopka, chair of the shuttle bus committee, encouraged Rahman and Bobka to attend the Student Action Team meeting to discuss the matter further.

Following their address of the senate, Student Body President Michelle Murphy confronted the senate members about what she views as inadequate support of the student government budget she helped organize and present to the Apportionment Board Thursday.

“If you have a problem with the budget, you should’ve said something in the weeks I gathered input,” Murphy said. “No one had anything to say, but now everyone’s turning on it. That’s not how it’s supposed to go. It’s just not productive. It’s moving backwards, and it’s not doing anything for the student body.”

Members then considered old business, which included the approval of the student supreme court procedures to establish rules of conduct.

Wilber compared the court procedures to the senate’s bylaws and executive rules.

The resolution passed with a vote of 25-3-1. The senate also tabled a resolution presented by Zach Caskey to distribute a technology survey to the student body.

As each student pays a technology fee of $100 per semester, Caskey hopes to gather input on what technologies students are using and which they would like to see implemented on campus.

In addition to the survey, the senate tabled a resolution to transfer funds to support their Spring 2010 inauguration for May 2.

The final resolution, deemed emergency legislation, focused on the longstanding issue of hiring a webmaster to maintain the student government Web site.

The resolution establishing the salary for the Web master was passed unanimously.

During the audience participation portion, members heard a presentation by Dave Evers, the energy executive director from Honeywell, about measures Eastern will undergo to become more efficient.

Tiffany Turner, former student speaker of the senate, was appointed as a non-senate member to the committee on bylaw revision adoption.

Erica Whelan can be reached at 581-7942 or elwhelan@eiu.edu.