Believing in a need for student representation in Louisiana affairs, three Student Government officials have joined together to lobby the legislature on behalf of students. The organization, known as Unite Louisiana, will aim to serve as the voice of students across the state, said SG President John Woodard.  
Woodard, along with Accountability and Student Interest Committee member Brad Guin and State Capitol Adviser to the Executive Branch Aaron Brown, formed the organization to ensure the legislative session starting in March won’t yield a negative effect on students. 
The trio will identify bills impacting students and meet with legislators to discuss the effects, Woodard said. 
“We want to do what we can to make sure that whatever takes place doesn’t hurt students too badly,” Woodard said. 
While Unite Louisiana will keep its eyes peeled for issues such as TOPS, tuition increases and student fees, Woodard said the group is currently focusing its attention on two bills. 
House Bill 73, sponsored by Rep. Jerome “Dee” Richard of District 55, could potentially cut $2.1 million from University funding, Woodard said. In its current state, the bill cuts 10 percent from state contracts across the board. Unite Louisiana would support it only if higher education were exempt from these cuts, Woodard said. If that were the case, state money would be saved without sacrificing University funds. 
The other bill, a procurement measure for state bodies, would benefit the University in regards to purchasing supplies, Brown said. Currently, the University must go through a state agency and abide by the contract already secured with suppliers in order to purchase supplies in bulk. The bill would allow for direct negotiation between the University and the suppliers, resulting in lower prices per unit. 
Brown said the new process would be more economical for commodities such as light bulbs, on which the University currently spends millions a year.   
Beyond communicating with legislators, Unite Louisiana hopes to “build a relationship” with students of the University and across Louisiana, Woodard said. To achieve this, the organization plans to build a website explaining bills to students and enabling them to contact legislators to support or oppose bills.
Brown emphasized the importance of getting students across the state involved, saying college students everywhere face many of the same issues with tuition and funding.   
But Construction management junior Philip LeBlanc said he is unsure of students’ willingness to be involved in such a movement. 
“I feel like many students choose not to be involved in political issues and others just don’t have the time,” LeBlanc said. “Overall, it seems like a good idea though.”
Moreover, University administrators advocated for students through LSU Day, which consisted of traveling to Washington D.C. on Feb. 5 to ensure University funds  are protected. 
Though he acknowledged administrators make an effort to ensure the welfare of students, Woodard said he still believes student involvement in legislation is essential.