Reading about the State Legislature is almost always boring.Whether it’s the arcane procedures and unbearable inanity of the politics or the number of issues the body addresses that just don’t seem relevant to college students, it can be hard to pay attention to the proceedings.But now, more than ever, we think it’s important University     students be informed.With recent budget cuts dominating the headlines, the issues discussed in the 2009 Legislative Session — which convenes today — will almost certainly have a noticeable effect on students’ lives.Senate Bills 1 and 2, for example, would rework the way the state dispenses decreases in funding.  The current system results in vastly uneven budget cuts — with higher education and health care bearing the brunt.  Legislative discussions can seem abstract and far off, but their impacts certainly won’t — especially when the University begins to cope with the lost money by increasing fees, class sizes and tuition.Although SB1 and SB2 won’t ease cuts in the immediate future, they will prevent the University from being slammed again as badly as it is now.But these bills won’t pass by themselves. Gov. Bobby Jindal and the legislature have a tough fight ahead of them, and it will only be won with the support of the general public — a public that certainly includes University students.Besides, the bills will require a vote of the people before they are approved.It’s vital college students remain informed about and active in the activities of the this legislative session.
 
 
 
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