With the 2003 legislative session scheduled to begin March 31, legislators have put forward many pieces of legislation directly affecting University students.
While most college students generally find themselves too busy to pay attention to legislative politics, decisions made by representatives in future months may affect the education and pocketbooks of students.
In the Louisiana State House of Representatives, House Bill 63 by Rep. Donald Cazayoux, D – New Roads, would allow the University to withhold transcripts of students for non-payment of fees, exempting the University from public records law requirements under these specific circumstances.
House Bill 88 by Rep. Michael Strain, R – Covington, would dedicate some revenues gathered from the Pari-mutuel Live Racing Facility Economic Redevelopment and Gaming Control Fund, which holds profits from slot machine gaming at live horse racing facilities, to fund the Equine Health Studies Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine.
The bill would create a fund for the Equine Health Studies Program in the state treasury, where up to $1 million annually would be deposited to fund equine health projects.
Rustin Moore, the director of the Equine Health Studies Program, said the funding would help not only the University, but also the state of Louisiana.
“The new fund would promote health through biomedical and disease research, help to improve facilities and equipment and provide education for horsemen,” Moore said. “It is a three-pronged program of research, service and education.”
Moore said the equine industry in Louisiana accounts for $1 billion per year in revenue, a large part of the economy. The bill would ensure more advanced medical care for horses. Several bills also have been filed jointly in the House and Senate with similar intentions.
House Bill 107 by Rep. Yvonne Welch, D – Baton Rouge, and Senate Bill 22 by Sen. Robert Marionneaux, D – Baton Rouge, both address inducements to students and unsolicited mailing of applications for credit cards.
The bills reflect a general negative attitude toward unwarranted solicitation of students to sign up for credit cards.
The LSU Student Senate passed a resolution in fall 2002 calling for such an action by University and state officials. The Student Senate also passed a bill eliminating the automatic enrollment of graduating seniors into the LSU Alumni Association, which sells information about its members to credit card companies.
Welch said students are the primary focus of her bill, and it would hopefully reduce the number of Louisiana students trapped in credit card debt.
“If [students] are not prepared and have only a very small salary from a part-time job, they should not be coerced into getting a credit card,” Welch said.
Welch also thinks education programs should be created to warn students about the repercussions of credit card debt.
“Students must be careful to use their credit cards wisely,” Welch said.
Rep. John R. Smith’s, D – Leesville, House Bill 98 and Sen. Gerald Theunissen’s, R – Jennings, Senate Bill 7 extend the time for military personnel to declare Louisiana as their home from 60 days to 180. The bill would allow college-aged dependents of armed forces personnel to have more time to secure TOPS funding.
Theunissen said the bill ultimately allows for people coming to Louisiana for military service and their families to set up their residence and deal with other matters prior to worrying about TOPS eligibility.
“I think people in the military should have every opportunity we can give them,” Theunissen said. “We have the backing of both representatives and senators on getting this passed.”
More bills affecting students will come forward in future months, as the legislature still has more than two weeks to pre-file bills prior to the start of the session.
Theunissen calls for students to pay attention to the activities of their legislators.
“We have lobbyists in many different areas, but it’s not nearly as effective as a personal call to your senator or representative on an issue you feel strongly about,” Theunissen said. “Becoming involved may even be the main factor in a senator or representative’s decision to vote a certain way on a bill.”