OCR Text |
Show OHEED & CAMBRIA: DrummerKhris Pdnnie fettfRedux & •• fti^. he's happy for new beginnings •«*„- TAH CHRONICLE The University www.dailyutahchronide.com ^ ofUtah's Independent Student Voice Since 1890 Vol. 117 No. 136 I ©2008 • U gets mixed results at session Plans for business school rejected State makes college textbooks tax-free Rochelle McConkie Assr. NEWS EDITOR After a wave of student support and a reinterpretation of state tax codes, U college textbooks will be tax-free starting April ir 2008. ASUU Government Relations Director Marko Mijic said the tax change is the result of students statewide taking ownership of the initiative. "In the end, it's a victory not just for the U, but for all student governments across the state," Mijic said. "We achieve more when working with all students." With the backing of all Utah colleges and universities and about Legislators removed an amendment last night to a capital facilities bill that would have authorized the U to use private funds to renovate the David Eccles School of Business. Now the U must go with a plan the state approved three years ago to redo the business school. The U will have to forgo plans to build 16 general-purpose classrooms, which would have been difficult to pay for anyway because the Legislature did not approve funding for the project, said Vice President for Government Relations Kim Wirthlin. Wirthlin said the U wanted the amendment because it would have given more flexibility for the project. She said Speaker of the House Greg Curtis, R- Sandy, "wanted the amendment out," although she said she did not know why. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake City, 10,000 student signatures in support of the action, the Associated Students of the University of Utah originally planned to introduce a bill at the Utah State Legislature that would exempt college textbooks from sales tax. But through research, student leaders discovered that they could qualify for the exemption under current tax codes. According to state tax law, the U is considered both a state institution and a charitable organization. Although textbooks are tax-exempt in grades K-12, state institutions of higher education do not have this exemption. Because the U is interpreted as a charitable organization and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service, the U can receive tax exemptions for items that are a part of its mission statement and regular functions. "It's hard to argue that textbooks arc not central to a university's mission," said Student Body President Spencer Pearson. ASUU leaders met with bill sponsor Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, U administrators and tax specialists to discuss how to get the exemption, but they decided it would be more effective to work through the Utah State Tax Commission instead of lobbying in the legislature to change sales tax laws. "We learned we didn't need the legislation process," said Kim Wirthlin, vice president for government relations. "There was a solution that already existed." The tax commission sent a letter to the U confirming the clarification and making the exemption official. The U PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY THOMAS NELSON/rtif 0c= defended the business school amendment, saying it did not make sense to remove approval because the bill would not allocate any state funds and the U has the money to pay for the project on its own. "It seems to me a personal or a side issue," Romero said. Bill sponsor Scott Jenkins, RWeber, said he pulled the bill because he understood that the House would not address it. The bill passed 23 to 5, and also approved the U spending $90 million to build another 50-bed clinical cancer research hospital adjacent to the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, $21 million to build a parking structure in the northwest section of campus and expansion of the University Neuropsychiatric Institute in Research Park. These building projects will not be funded by the state. Rochelle McConkie Bill to speed up eviction process dies A bill that would have exempted university housing from state eviction laws by eliminating the court process died last night in the House of Representatives, just minutes before the end of the session. The U wanted the bill passed so Housing and Residential Education could evict students who lee TEXTBOOKS Page 2 are not paying their leases or are no longer attending classes without going to court, speeding up the process so HRE could fill these spots with students abiding by the rules. They argued that the U is not a traditional landlord, therefore making it exempt from state laws. Rochelle McConkie Fees may Cancer institute announces expansion fund new parkin Carlos Mayorga STAFF WRITER Dustin Gardiner NEWS EDITOR U administrators will likely get the go-ahead to borrow more than-$2i million to build a parking garage in the northwest corner of campus. State lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that includes a provision allowing the U to borrow the money and pay it back with parking fees and donations. Gov. Jon Huntsman must now sign the bill. However, administrators said they hope to build the structure without increasing parking fees for students and faculty members. "We certainly haven't planned any increase in parking fees at this time," said Arnold Combe, vice president for administrative services. Combe said fees could be used to pay for the parking garage, but the U hopes to avoid making burdensome fee increases. He said the administra- See GARAGE Page 2 Campus parking garage What happened? The Utah State Legislature passed a bill that includes a provision allowing the U to borrow more than $21 million to build an additional campus parking garage. The bill says the debt will be paid off with parking fees and donations. What are administrators saying? Arnold Combe, vice president for administrative services, said the U hopes to pay for the structure without increasing parking fees for students and employees. He said construction will likely not begin for several years. Where will it be built? No decisions have been made, but administrators are considering several options, including an underground garage in Presidents'Circle and an above-ground structure that would replace the Military Science Building. CHRISTIAN PETEflSEN/ftr(biff UtahQwnldt Two prominent cancer survivors, cyclist Lance Armstrong and Huntsman Cancer Institute founder Jon M. Huntsman, met with cancer patients at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and discussed plans for a major expansion of the facility Wednesday afternoon. After the two met with patients, Huntsman made a surprise announcement that financing has been completed to double the size of the Huntsman Cancer Institute,, which should be completed by 2011. "I'm letting the cat out of the bag here, but we will announce the doubling of the hospital," Huntsman told reporters after the visit. An official announcement will be made as early as next week. Armstrong was in town for another engagement in Salt Lake City and decided to set aside some time to visit the cancer institute. "I've heard so much about the institute here from Mr. Huntsman," Armstrong said. "You can't really appreciate it until you come here and walk the halls and meet the patients." Armstrong, who founded the TYLER CQBBJTh! Deity Utah Oirailck Lance Armstrong and Jon M. Huntsman lifted the spirits of the nurses and patients in the infusion room of the Huntsman Cancer Institute during their visit Wednesday afternoon. Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997 while undergoing treatment for testicular cancer, said he was impressed with the look and feel of the facility. "This doesn't look like a hospital," Armstrong said. "When you go through a hospital and it looks like a factory, it's not a great way to start a fight." Armstrong fought cancer in the mid-1990s from which he would eventually recover and win seven consecutive Tours de France. Now in retirement from cycling, Armstrong works more closely with his foundation, which seeks to raise awareness and be a resource for people with cancer. "I've completely shifted my focus," Armstrong said. "To fight this fight the most efficiently as I can, I have to put ah1 my focus into it." See HUNTSMAN Page 2 ASUU parties face uphill diversity battle Michael McFall ASUU is elitist or apathetic toward diversity groups. Representatives from several groups For the first time in an Asso- said they feel betrayed by ASUU ciated Students of the Univer- and are concerned about whethsity of Utah election, candidates er the Focus or Spork party can attended an ASUU Diversity do more for their problems than Board meeting to answer any previous administrations. questions that members of miSome students, such as Ofa nority groups had for them. Pilivi, assistant director for However, a number of students ASUU's Diversity Board, said walked away feeling as though ASUU leaders should reach out their questions weren't fully an- to student groups and attend swered. their meetings rather than ask Whenever asked about a di- students to come to them. versity issue, candidates said Pilivi said she was also surthey would educate their staff prised that the candidates and the student body, then seemed generally unaware of the plugged their ideas for a student issues facing minority groups on group forum that would allow campus. She doesn't think that group leaders to address issues the parties' plans would allevifacing minorities on campus by ate the distrust minority groups collaborating with each other feel toward ASUU. and ASUU. Candidates from both parties Hopefully, they1 said, it would assured the group that they will help defeat the stigma that do whatever they can to eduSTAFF WRITER 1 JARAD REDDEKOPP/fflrftrff Unh(hmtdt Student representatives from various diversity groups gather to listen to ASUU candidates John Hayes, Patrick Reimherr and Madison Warren as they discuss their views on various campus issues. Hayes touched on his views on diversity and ASUU Involvement with the students on campus. cate the student body and their own executive cabinet about diversity and keep diversity issues on their agenda. They also reinforced the idea that student groups can create change by See DIVERSITY Page 2 :'• |