University of Utah Student Newspapers | 2008-01-16 | Page 6

6 Wednesday, January 16,2008 DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE ' IINVESTIGATES T H E U ' S LEGISLA Students push for &*-'% sign a petition in support of the bill to raise student awareness and provide further eviSTAFF WRITER r • y ' dence to lawmakers that the bill has the supThe U's student body could save up to port of the student body. The petitions help students feel a sense of $700,000 a year if the sales tax on all required textbooks is removed by a bill proposed for ownership of the bill and that they are helpthe upcoming Utah State Legislative session. ing it become a reality, Mijic said. ASUU has lobbied the legislature, even Associated Students, of the University of Utah is trying to make this tax exemption during Winter Break, to gain support. House a reality by getting students involved in the Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, is sponsoring legislative process. Student leaders from ev- the bill. ASUU is trying to find a senator to ery state institution have jumped on board in sponsor the bill but hasn't been successful yet. support of the bill. Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, a member of Collectively, the bill would save Utah college students roughly $4.7 million annually, the Senate's Public Education Appropriation Committee, is against the bill. The sales tax which is approximately $60 per student. "We have a very high probability of this students pay on textbooks goes to the state's passing," said Marko Mijic, the ASUU gov- general fund, which then redistributes that ernment relations director. "We*re very op- money down to tax-supported services. Hillyard said the repercussions might deny the timistic." A similar bill went to the Legislature in general fund $4.7 million each year. "There are too many exemptions right 2000 and again in 2006, but it didn't reach now," Hillyard said. "If you take $4.7 million the floor for debate. Since 2006, the cost of textbooks has risen out of the general fund, how can you pay for two times faster than the rate of inflation, Mi- other programs?" jic said, causing ASUU to push hard for the He said the size of the exemption would tax cut. ASUU has made sure the bill was a likely be the reason it would not pass. student-driven initiative to show Legislature Rep. Carol Moss, D-Salt Lake City, questhey care about the cost of education. tioned how tax-supported programs such as "It's been more of a grass-root effort," said Medicaid, health and human services, and disability services would be affected by the Basim Motiwala, ASUU vice president. Students have been encouraged to contact loss of $4.7 million in revenue. their representatives and voice their support Hillyard said the government would probof the bill, he said. ably turn to other sources to compensate for ASUU also encouraged students who buy the $4.7 million the bill will deprive the gentextbooks at the University Campus Store to eral fund of every year in revenue. He isn't Michael McFall Chemical engineering major Kalisi Uluave joins many other students by signing the petition to cut taxes on required textbooks. The petition Is to raise student awareness and to provide evidence that the student body supports the bill. sure what sources tl however, assured the crease to compensate Moss thinks $4.7 1 price for the state tc ing costs for college would likely cover re "I think there nee relief," she said. "An} dents), I'm in favor ol Hillyard shares the his own children thro In 2006 the bill woi eral fund $4 million in 2000 the bill woul fund si.2 million ann Office of the Legislati the projected loss of 1( seven years ago wou annually, had the bill "Some other con greater (in 2006)," Mt pay for it outweighei an extra s6o each. Adam David, a sop would put his extra : apartment, as well as is "already getting bil other student fees," h Mijic hopes the sav to graduate earlier, he "We want to make i "We want to impact (this bill) is a way wel Bill could cut tuition discount for undocumented students Clayton Norlen long way from graduating," Maite said. "I ition rates, but illegal aliens can." understand that HB 241 won't affect me diDean of Students Annie Christensen said rectly, but my sister wouldn't have the ac- that the U doesn't support HB 241, adding For the sixth year in a row, the Utah State cess to higher education that I've had." that the students affected by this bill are viLegislature will decide whether or not to reBecause of the grandfather clause at- tal to the U and that the institution would peal a Utah law allowing undocumented stu- tached to the bill, students enrolled in insti- be hurt without their presence. dents to pay in-state tuition at state colleges tutes of higher education as "We really think and universities. of Spring 2008 would still —^—^— that this bill is The law allows undocumented students be able to attend, but those short-sighted," who attended a Utah high school for three in high school would be deChristensen said. or more years, graduated with a high school nied if the bill passes. "As a university, we diploma or the equivalent and have filed an Supporters of the bill, can't support the application to legalize their immigration sta- such as Eli Cowley, a idea of limiting actus to receive the in-state tuition discount. spokesman for the anti ille- . . , ,, cess to education." In the Fall Semester 2007,79 undocumented As it has in immigration group the Its a p e r v e r s i o n t h e s e students attended the U under the current Utah Minutemen Project, the past, Movilaw. If the law is changed, undocumented are concerned with the primiento Estudianstudents would have to pay the more expen- ority that the state is giving s t a t u s f r o m t h e c o l l e g e s til Chicana/o de sive out-of-state tuition rate. Aztlan, a student to undocumented students Tpf/jv-f-tarc "Most of the year goes by smoothly, but over U.S. citizens or stu- cu LL1 L i n t group at the U, is when November rolls around and legisla- dents studying in Utah on advocating against _ _ ^ _ tive issues come up, you know there will be student visas. HB 241, Valery a new bill to deny students like me access "In general, the consequences of giving Pozo, co-chair of M.E.Ch.A said. Through to education," said Maite, a junior in politi- funds to illegal immigrants (are) a detri- community forums and working alongside cal science and an undocumented student. ment to the (United States)," Cowley said. community and student groups, M.E.Ch.A "If this bill were to pass, it wouldn't be the "The law now erases the distinction be- is working to educate the public about the end of my life, but it would close a lot of tween citizens and aliens. It's a perversion harm this bill might bring to immigrant doors." these students get resident status from the populations in Utah and potential stuMaite asked that her full name be with- colleges after three years." dents. held to protect her identity. Cowley believes that legal citizens from "We need to have the Legislature underMaite has lived in the United States since other states should have priority over un- stand that when they originally passed the she was 7 years old and lived in Utah for the documented students, adding that it is a bill, that allowed students to get in-state past five years. She said that the idea of re- perversion that illegal aliens are allowed ac- tuition, the value is they gave those stuturning to Mexico for her education or work cess to our K-12 schools as well. dents the chance to go to college," said Kim is unrealistic, because she has no immediate "This legislative fiat institutionalizes in- Wirthlin, vice president for government refamily ties or connection there. Maite wor- equality before the law," Cowley said. "Be- lations. "If it's repealed...they won't be able ries more about the future for her younger cause citizens from outside Utah, and even to do it." siblings who aren't in college yet. those who have lived in Utah all their lives, c.norlen@ "I have a younger sister who is 13 and a leave and come back, cannot pay in-state tuchronicle.utah.edu STAFF WRITER 1 lie law now erases the distinction between citizens and aliens. students get resident FUNDS NEEDED FOR REMODEL continued from Page 1 "We want them to make this one of their top-three projects to focus on," she said. Wirthlin said the project was listed as the top priority for the Board of Regents. Rep. Paul Neuenschwander, R-Davis, and a U graduate with a master's degree in business administration, said that the School of Business is certainly important, but there are also a lot of other key projects the Legislature must consider. "I know how the business school helps the state, but there are a lot of other requests for funding," he said. The School of Business has almost raised the other $79 million during the past three years. With the remodelling, the U gains multimedia classrooms that are fully wired for computers and have wireless Internet, said Jack Brittain, dean of the School of Business. The Legislature recently approved the school's plan to begin designing the business school remodel, without funding approval. The U is waiting to hear whether the Legislature will approve the $28.5 million request. "The Legislature is letting us proceed to the design phase," Potts said. "We're now in the process of selecting the architect and contractor." If construction begins, the School of Business would be surrounded by fences and covered with construction workers as the Francis Armstrong Madsen Building is torn down in the first part of a threephase project. The Kendall D. Garff Building would be torn down in the second phase to be replaced with new, technologically improved buildings with more classroom and office space. Plans to renovate the School of Business have been in the works for the past 10 years. Three of the four business buildings were built in the mid-1960s and need to be updated, said Lindsay Allen, marketing analyst for the School of Business. "The Christiansen Center was built in 2000, but the other three need to be updated," she said. In the '60s, the business school had approximately 600 students. Now, there are more than 3,000 students. The school doesn't have room for teachers' offices, and the U needs more classrooms, Allen said. Last year, a focus group was hired to find out what students want out of the new buildings. Most students said they wanted better places to study, wireless access and places where groups can get together to work on projects, Potts said. "Over 90 percent of the space will be dedicated for student use," she said. The older buildings also have routine maintenance issues, which Allen said is normal when the buildings are older than 40 years. The School of Business will take down two buildings with 56,000 square feet total to replace it with 188,000 square feet. "We don't know if it'll be one or two buildings, or a lot of smaller buildings," Potts said. "We just know how many square feet it will involve." The first two years of the project will involve tearing down the FAMB and putting up replacement buildings with classroom space. The Kendall D. Garff Building will be torn down after replacement buildings are ready for use. "We can't tear both buildings down at the same time, because we need places to put students while the new buildings are being worked on," Potts said. "Classes that would've been held in FAMB will be distributed in other classrooms on campus." The outdoor plaza between the business buildings will be blocked off in parts. Routes to class will have to change when construction begins, she said. Business representatives said there are future plans for a third phase in the construction to tear down the Business Classroom Building and replace it, but additional funding will have to be raised. /.groves© chronicle.utah.edu. LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER REFORM federal Children's I ance Program or U1 to buy private insura "We want to crea continued from Page 1 to reach out and encc ment into the CHIP also Medicaid," Clarl providing more information and The bill would rec giving the best value for afford- Huntsman Jr.'s Office able costs, promote healthy be- Development, the hi haviors to decrease the cost of dustry and legislatoi health care, decrease the number gether to creof uninsured Utahns, create a ate a strategic / multi-year framework for health plan, timeline reform, build collaborative efforts and principle with health care providers, insur- medical care ers and the Legislature and allow for the best all citizens to receive tax cuts on clinical prachealth insurance. tice. Although the plan would be apThere are 16 W( plicable to the state only, it would issues the bill ha also rely partly on federal pro- forces these grams and must comply with fed- groups to ex- • in* eral health care regulations. amine. One There are 306,000 uninsured issue would Utahns, and the numbers are in- allow citizens creasing, Clark said. In 2007 the to keep their number of uninsured people was health insurat least 10 percent higher than in ance policies if they 2006, he said. their job. • Clark said almost half of the unAnother issue is insured would be eligible for the state should mand; ev in; sa fit