USG cuts programming assembly budgets by 12%
A vote to remove speaker of the senate Elija Barnes is scheduled for April 22.
The Undergraduate Student Government senate unanimously passed a bill to approve the budget for the 2026 fiscal year Tuesday night, which included a roughly 12% cut in funding for programming assemblies — just over $81,000 — and a $73,344 cut to the Concerts Committee, among other decreases.
President-elect and current senator Mikaela Bautista as well as vice president-elect and current academic affairs chair Emma Fallon declined to comment on budget cuts to programming assemblies in an interview with the Daily Trojan.
USG’s total expected budget for next year is $2,483,456, a roughly 1.65% decrease compared to the 2025 fiscal year. Bautista said USG’s budget is dependent on the student programming fee, a flat fee included in every student’s tuition.
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Bautista said the budget is expected to decrease because next year’s enrollment is expected to be lower.
In a statement to the Daily Trojan after the meeting, president Brianna Sánchez wrote that a secret-ballot vote among senators on the removal of speaker of the senate Elija Barnes is scheduled for after the April 22 senate meeting. Sánchez could not confirm a reason for the removal process because it was anonymously called by at least three senators and does not need a reason to be initiated.
This year’s initial speaker of the senate, Diana Carpio, was removed through the same process Nov. 19, with Barnes taking over Dec. 4.
During the meeting, senator Brandon Tavakoli introduced SB 144-30, a resolution to recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month and to establish a Jewish community advocacy liaison. The bill would also amend the bylaws to include a Jewish community advocacy liaison in addition to the already existing liaison from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life.
President-elect and current senator Mikaela Bautista, pictured here during a Feb. 25 meeting, declined to comment on budget cuts to programming assemblies in an interview with the Daily Trojan. Bautista is depicted here at the Feb. 25 senate meeting. (Henry Kofman / Daily Trojan)
“Today should not be momentous, but for many Jewish students on this campus, it will feel momentous, because today, for the first time in this institution, the Jewish community is not asking for special treatment,” Tavakoli said. “We’re asking to be represented.”
Tavakoli said the resolution calls for USC to uplift the voices and contributions of past, present and future Jewish students. He said the resolution — which will come to a senate vote April 22 — is supported by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life as well as Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni.
Vionna Huang, the advocacy liaison for the International Student Assembly, presented SB 144-31, a resolution that calls for stronger institutional support and transparent communication for all international USC students.
Huang said despite international students making up 26.6% of the USC student body as of Fall 2024, they face a unique set of challenges. International students pay full tuition without access to need-based aid and their legal status is affected by shifting immigration policy.
The bill calls for President Carol Folt to issue a written statement of solidarity within two weeks of the bill’s passing, increase publicization of communication of protocols within the Office of International Services and the Immigrant Legal Assistance Center and ISA to lead the creation of a resource guide titled “What International Students Need to Know” under the USG Resources website.
Huang said there have been notable increases in status record terminations and student visa revocations across the national campuses, including USC, though the Daily Trojan could not immediately confirm any visa revocations at USC.
Senator Ali Bhatti introduced SB 144-32, which would amend the bylaws to improve the appeal process within USG by making the judicial council the first but not final court to hear cases and make a ruling within 48 hours instead of 24 hours after hearing the case. The bill will come to a senate vote April 22.
Bhatti said during the last USG election, senatorial candidate Mason Yonover appealed his decision based on the judicial council’s misconduct. The judicial council then investigated themselves for misconduct and found themselves to have acted accordingly.
Senators Jad Kilani, Patrick Nguyen and John Breitfelder introduced SB 144-34, which would amend the bylaws to clarify legislative authority over bylaw amendments if it passes an April 22 senate vote.
Kilani said the executive cabinet currently has an “unreasonable amount of power to shut down bylaw amendments that are approved by a super-majority vote by the senate.”
During his report, chief communications officer Faiz Ahmed said schoolwide newsletters will come out soon and the communication department plans to collaborate with the International Student Assembly on resources.
Shrinidhi Sriram, affordability and basic needs committee chair, said a work-study alternative project for non-citizens will not be fully completed this year due to the “current political climate.” She also presented a housing rights workshop for first-time renters, which will happen Wednesday at 5 p.m.
