RHA threatens to pull out of condom funding
A task force has asked RHA to hold its vote until Dec. 1.
Nov. 18, 2008
Last week the Residence Halls Association postponed its legislation encouraging a speedier implementation of sexual health products in the residence halls, and it's been done again this week.
RHA Speaker of Congress Blake Lawrence was asked by the Sexual Health and Safety Products Task Force to postpone the legislation until Dec. 1.
Lawrence plans to attend the task force meeting on Thursday to ask why it had to be postponed and, if he's not satisfied with their answer, he said RHA will look into removing its financial support and passing a joint resolution with the Missouri Students Association.
"Either you get it done, or we get our money back," Lawrence said.
Last week, Residence Halls Association President Bobby Wood and Lawrence decided to postpone the legislation in order more closely examine why the timeline of the sexual safety products program was stretched and closely address those issues in the wording. They also wanted a unanimous passing vote to make a stronger statement, so they wanted to bring it up at a congressional meeting.
In 2006, the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity presented the condom initiative in hopes of putting condom dispensers on every floor in every residence hall. Chancellor Brady Deaton vetoed the plan, saying he wanted to ensure that the university could provide halted for the program before the initiative could be pursued.
Deaton said the dispensers would not be mandated but that each individual residence hall must request the dispensers. He wanted to ensure that dispensers were located in areas that were private and unable to be tampered with. Deaton also wanted to be sure that the university could complete an evaluation of the sexual health program's effectiveness. Finally, he requested that a student group help with the planning and implementation of the program.
The Sexual Health and Safety Products Task Force decided to pick up the project and has been working to install the dispensers ever since.
- Staff Writer Andrea Kszystyniak contributed to this report.
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