In a narrow vote that split the SGA after an hour-long debate Wednesday night, the body approved funding $2,500 to help launch a new student-created website to connect state legislators to their constituents – but that decision might soon be overturned.

Shortly after the meeting, SGA President Kaiyi Xie told legislators in an email he may consider vetoing the resolution to sponsor MyMaryland.net – a nonprofit, nonpartisan website set to launch within two months that would connect residents with their state representatives and may also include an exclusive page to allow students to voice their opinions to university officials.

Twelve SGA legislators co-sponsored the resolution in hopes of utilizing the site to collect quantitative data on student opinion. However, a number of members argued the funding was not an appropriate use of the organization’s funds, which come out of the annual $31.52 mandatory student activities fee each full-time undergraduate pays.

“I don’t think anyone doubts that MyMaryland.net is, in principle, a really great idea. I just don’t think this is something the SGA should be funding,” freshman legislator Justin Dent said at the meeting. “We’re funding $2,500 to an organization over something we cannot feasibly see.”

Xie was among the members who opposed the resolution and said he would decide whether to veto it within a few days.

“I think there is a larger issue about the precedent this sets for what the student activities fee can be used for,” Xie said in an interview after the meeting.

Although the site is currently a nonprofit, several members raised concern over whether they should appropriate student fees to startup a company that may not remain a nonprofit in the future, especially as founders hope to expand it someday to a nationwide service.

Site founder and senior government and politics major Ben Simon, however, said these concerns are unfounded, noting the university legal department had reviewed the proposal and said funding a nonprofit service would present no legal problems.

“We have no plans to become a for-profit enterprise,” said Simon, who ran against Xie for SGA president last spring. “Our social mission of creating a way for average students to connect with their government drives MyMaryland.net every day. That’s the reason why we founded it, and we would never compromise it for profit.

The resolution ultimately passed 13-10 with no abstentions. The body also narrowly passed an amendment to create a liaison position between MyMaryland.net and the SGA to ensure the company fulfills its agreements with the body.

“We’re funding this because it provides us a service,” arts and humanities legislator Julie France said. “It gives us an avenue of communication that did not exist before and that’s very valuable and valid.”

The SGA planned to vote on the resolution the week before spring break, but legislators voted to table it to give members more time to determine the legality of funding the site. The resolution was tabled again for two more weeks following spring break. Simon, a former Diamondback columnist, spoke before the body on three occasions to lobby for sponsorship, and 19 students came to the meeting donning MyMaryland.net t-shirts to show their support.

The body’s finance committee voted against the proposal before it went to the full body vote due to legality concerns. Vice President of Financial Affairs David Berlin also urged the body not to approve funding for a site that is still in the “hypothetical” phase.

At Wednesday’s meeting, legislators also raised concerns that the money would be taking funds away from other student groups with more established projects as well as the legislators’ required service initiatives – projects that directly impact their constituents and improve their student experience.

“We’re paying for a voice in the organization for people who don’t have to pay to have a voice,” arts and humanities legislator Mace Phillips said. “We have a responsibility to use the student activities fee wisely. We have a responsibility to fund organizations that are already doing great work and advocacy.”

However, other legislators stressed the company presented a tremendous opportunity for the body to respond more effectively to student concerns on major university policy decisions.

“I think it’s important to have this lobbying tool,” Speaker Pro Tempore Andrea Marcin said. “I think this would be a fantastic use of funds. Perhaps unprecedented, but still useful.”

MyMaryland.net has received another award recently, winning a $1,000 grant through the business school’s Pitch Dingman Competition at the Social Enterprise Symposium earlier this semester. Despite the threat of Xie’s veto, Simon said he is optimistic the SGA’s support will hold.

“We do respect the process and understand that something this revolutionary takes a long time to think over,” Simon said. “There was a vigorous debate, great points were made on both sides and in the end, the legislature made a decisive vote to support it.”

villanueva@umdbk.com