Student Government at Berkeley Considers Revoking Funding for College Republicans

The student government at University of California, Berkeley suggested stripping the campus College Republicans of their funding and moving it instead to the Black Student Union.

A Berkele Student Senator suggested the idea via amendment to the group’s proposed budget allocations.

It’s not unusual for the campus Republicans to feel threatened. This, from back in 2016:

The senator, Rizza Estacio, said her logic is that the Republicans have broken a lot of rules, particularly free speech-related rules.

Legal Insurrection has more:

The student who suggested this wants the funds reallocated to the black student union. The reasoning is bogus.

Campus Reform reports:

Student gov threatens to give CR funds to Black Student Union

A University of California, Berkeley Student Senator proposed that all student government funding for the Berkeley College Republicans be reallocated to the Black Student Union.

According to The Daily Californian, Senator Rizza Estacio made an amendment to the proposed budget allocations to student organizations and university groups which would eliminate the $1,000 funding for the BCR and add it to the budget for the BSU.

Estacio said that her reasoning for the reallocation is because the BCRs “have violated a lot of, like, lead center rules during like free speech week,” adding that because of this, the organization does not deserve funding from the ASUC.

The proposal was met with murmurs of agreement from across the room, but some senators were concerned with the possible legal obstacles to the amendment.

“I believe there are genuine concerns about the legal implications of taking away funding from BCR,” cautioned Senator Taehan Lee.

This concern was echoed by Matthew Lewis, ASUC housing commissioner, who stated that while he disagrees with the College Republicans, he fears the reallocation would result in a lawsuit.

“Before I speak I just want to acknowledge that people have feelings about wanting to defund BCR are very valid; they are a terrible organization,” said Lewis. “What will happen inevitably in court is not only will the courts order be for the ASUC to fund BCR, they’ll probably also order the ASUC to fund BCR at a higher amount, which would mean cuts to other student groups who actually deserve the money.”