In case the reality of a reduced budget for the University hasn’t affected you yet, new legislation proposed by state Sen. Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City, may do the trick.One measure that will be up for consideration this legislative session — which convenes today — will be Senate Bill 85.Under this proposed legislation, awards granted to recipients of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students would be capped at “an amount determined by the administering agency to equal the tuition charged by the public college or university attended in the state or one thousand six hundred dollars ($1,600) per semester, whichever is less.”Changing the current law to conform with Sen. Gautreaux’s proposed legislation would mean a maximum of $3,200 per year for students who qualify to receive TOPS awards. The new bill would not change the amount of awarded stipends for students receiving Performance or Honors awards.Gautreaux cites concern over the nature of the funding source for the TOPS program to justify his bill. Under current law, the program has an “open-ended” financial obligation. It provides base tuition coverage for all students who qualify — with no cap.”The administering agency may seek, accept, and expend funds from any source … for this purpose,” says the current legislation.Sen. Gautreaux’s concerns over the uncertainty of the state’s requirement to the TOPS program is justified in light of the budget woes facing Louisiana. But what seems to be a concern over shoring up the state’s budget is nothing more than petty politics.There are two public universities whose tuition exceeds the proposed $3,200 cap on TOPS awards – LSU and UNO. Both schools are in the LSU System.Tuition at LSU totals $3,494 per year while UNO tuition is $3,228.Last year, the legislature voted to allow LSU to increase tuition by up to 5 percent per year and Chancellor Martin has already announced that tuition will be increased. The gap between the limit on TOPS and the tuition LSU students have to pay will only increase in the coming years, should Gautreaux’s bill pass.This may send students running from LSU to other state colleges and universities compounding the problems facing the university by a shrinking budget.This seems to be exactly what Gautreaux wants.Gautreaux recognizes this cap may keep some students away from LSU, according to The Advocate. But he doesn’t see this as a problem – students will just go to schools closer to their homes (presumably not in the LSU system).The increased cost to students at LSU would be $250 to cover the lack of coverage by TOPS.”If someone wants to go to LSU, they’ll have to pony up,” Gautreaux cavalierly told The Advocate.Chancellor Martin responded to Gautreaux’s bill by voicing concern over higher-achieving students who may leave the state for better educational opportunities if TOPS doesn’t cover tuition at LSU.At a time when the budget for higher education is being gutted, Gautreaux wants to gut the talent the state has produced through his proposal that would limit the educational opportunities for those who reach the highest levels of their pre-college education.Instead of playing politics with the opportunities available to future generations, true change needs to be given a look.If TOPS is becoming too expensive, maybe the academic standards need to be raised. There are too many universities in Louisiana — some should be consolidated.Capping TOPS awards — and thus punishing LSU students — is not the answer to the financial woes facing the state.Drew Walker is a 24-year-old philosophy senior from Walker.– – – -Contact Drew Walker at [email protected]