SANTA FE - A group of UNM students visited with legislators Tuesday to discuss University priorities during Student Day at the state Legislature.
Associated Students of UNM Lobbyists Jason Weaks and Sara Schreiber, with the help of several students, delivered breakfast burritos and leaflets throughout the bustling Roundhouse while outlining issues in this year's legislative session that will affect students.
Those issues included passage of a bill that would change gross receipts laws to allow year-round tax-free textbook purchases by students; minimize the tuition credit, which is the amount legislators expect UNM to raise tuition; grant the full amount requested in the University's funding request; and fund endowments to attract faculty and staff.
"I think it helps when representatives get to see students who care about school and education trying to do something to make a difference," said ASUNM Sen. Lisa Marie Gomez, who attended with several other student government representatives.
The students also had met with about 50 legislators during a Monday evening reception sponsored by the UNM Alumni Association at a Santa Fe hotel. Schreiber said Tuesday's event was a chance to follow up on some of the progress made during the reception.
"We're trying to get something tangible in their hands," she said.
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Schreiber said she was being realistic about the tuition credit, but hoped that it wouldn't approach Gov. Gary Johnson's recommendation of 8 percent. The Senate Finance Committee has proposed a more modest 1.5 percent credit.
"It's a fact that the budget is tight, there's no way we'll get no tuition credit, but we're trying to get it as low as possible," she said.
The bookstore sales tax bill, however, looks more promising, Weaks said.
"The reason it died last year was that it was introduced too late," he said. "This year it was introduced in both chambers at the same time."
He refuted the main argument against the bill - that it would erode the tax base - on the grounds that schools around the state have been closing campus bookstores to the public in order to sell tax-free books to students for some time.
The bill would only change the requirement that stores close to the public during the sales.
"And the schools are going to do it anyway - we just want to make it more functional," he said.
Weaks, a senior double majoring in political science and English, has a good source for insight on navigating the labyrinthine offices, chambers and lounges in the Roundhouse. His father, Dan, lobbies for a state hospitals association, the Credit Union Bureau and other clients.
Finding any of the 114 senators and representatives, especially those sponsoring pertinent legislation, was challenging because of busy committee and chamber schedules, so the group left many of the burritos in Senate and House lounges, along with fliers explaining their goals.
"It's all about getting the information out - you don't have to be physically present to distribute information," Weaks said. "These guys are busy."
But the few legislators that could be found seemed receptive to visits by students.
"I've got a kid going to UNM next year, so anything that makes it cheaper for me is good," said Sen. Kent Cravens, R-Bernalillo, chatting with Gomez and ASUNM Sen. Paul Campbell.
