The Associated Students of Madison voted to reduce the Campus Women's Center's operational grant at the Student Council meeting Wednesday.
Last month, the ASM Finance Committee granted the Campus Women's Center a $33,100 operational grant—the largest in ASM's history.
Operational grants are provided to student organizations that did not qualify for General Student Services Funding and are intended to provide resources for recruitment and routine operations of the organization.
Several council members said they believed the CWC's grant was too large, as the total amount allocated to the CWC made up roughly one fourth of the total operational grant funds that were allocated to over 90 organizations.
ASM Secretary Kurt Gosselin said he felt the Finance Committee violated viewpoint neutrality when approving the grant.
""When you treat one organization different than you've treated other organizations, when you've deviated from the way you've applied your standard, you have violated the law by committing a viewpoint neutrality violation,"" he said.
Rep. Maxwell Love said, however, he believes the CWC was treated equally and simply had an unusually high budget.
""[The CWC] submitted an operational grant, they went through the process and they were approved,"" he said. ""I don't see a viewpoint neutrality violation here.""
Council members ultimately approved several cuts to the grant from printing, supplies and advertising, reducing the grant to $15,376.
Gosselin said he felt many of the supplies funded in the grant went to events, rather than to the core operation of the organization, and that the grant should not pay fund the CWC's rent at Memorial Union when they could apply for space at the Student Activity Center.
CWC organizer Tina Trevino-Murphy said, however, the space at Memorial Union was necessary for the center's purpose of providing an anonymous service to students in a more secluded location.
She added that many of the organization's supplies, like condoms, are also used for recruiting and retaining members.
The Finance Committee will make the final decision regarding the amended CWC grant at its next meeting.
