The North Carolina Legislature discussed several issues this session affecting students, including voter registration and tax-free textbook bills.

Although the legislature didn’t pass the House or Senate versions of the tax-free textbook bills, it passed the voter registration bill, which the governor signed, and is now awaiting Department of Justice approval.

Sen. Janet Cowell said she signed in favor of the tax-free textbooks bill.

“If you’re going to have something tax-free, it would seem like textbooks would be a good thing that would be tax-free,” she said.

According to Cowell though, senators voted in favor of making so many items tax-free that it would end up costing the state a lot of money.

She said she filed a bill to make the sales tax on bread two percent because on some breads, it’s seven percent and on others two, but said that it would have ended up costing the state $9 million if it passed.

“With textbooks, it’s a slightly different scenario,” Cowell said. “This is a pretty fundamental item.”

According to Cowell, a more likely scenario than the textbook bill passing is that the legislature will conduct a more complete look at textbook sales, in addition to technology, licensing agreements and how the state can provide cheaper textbooks and software.

“The other [idea] would be to take a more comprehensive view of sales tax exemptions and make sure we are putting exemptions on appropriate items,” Cowell said.

Bobby Mills, student body president, said Student Government will continue to work on campaigning to lower textbook prices and said he thinks the date of tax-free weekend being changed is more feasible than making textbooks tax-free all year round.

Cowell agreed that the current date is not suitable for college students.

“The current tax-free holiday is more catered toward K – 12 students,” she said.

Legislators, Cowell said, want to hear students’ opinions on these issues since they are the ones “living it.”

Same-day voter registration

The other issue, same-day voter registration, is another bill Student Government officials lobbied for this summer.

This allows citizens to register to vote at one-stop voting sites.

“It’s a great opportunity for students who move a lot and who aren’t registered to vote,” Greg Doucette, student senate president, said.

According to Doucette, this bill avoids the traditional voter fraud concerns because once a person is registered in the system, they cannot register again.

He also said the penalty for voter fraud will be harsher with two charges against a person who commits voter fraud.

As the elections draw near, Doucette said Student Government will be working with Greek life, the College Democrats and Republicans, and other student organizations in the “Pack the Polls” campaign, registering students to vote.