Just a bill on Capitol Hill
Posted on February 21, 2008
Nineteen SGA members attended the Feb. 11 Virginia General Assembly meeting to lobby for bills pertinent to JMU students and their interests.
The committee lobbied against House Bill 109, which would allow college students to carry registered concealed firearms. The students argued that such a bill could potentially allow for a repeat of last year’s Virginia Tech tragedy.
Students felt the Board of Visitors should be able to control the laws allowing, or forbidding firearms in college environments. The committee is confident that this bill will not pass.
The committee was also concerned with the Bi-Partisan Redistricting Commission. The SGA felt appropriate redistricting for the House of Delegates and Senate would facilitate more competitive races and higher voter turnout.
The SGA also addressed an absentee ballot reform, an issue they have lobbied for, for the past several years. Committee members thought voter turnout would increase if ballots could be submitted online.
The last of the four bills was the Higher Education Funding/Base Adequacy Bill. SGA members argued that the bill was imperative to provide financial options for institutions so that colleges may have access to better faculty and students have the opportunity to attain a higher education.
“We were complemented by more than one senator for how well we represented our school,” junior senator Heather Shuttleworth said.
In-state students saw their local Senate and House members because the committee thought the politicians would respond to their constituents concern.
“The delegates we talked to were very receptive because they knew we were speaking for a large body of students,” freshman Lauren Armstrong said.
While the day was mostly successful, the committee came across some frustrating road-blocks. Legislators were currently in the middle of a cross-over, requiring them to make immediate decisions regarding pending bills before deciding on any new ones. Students were also frustrated by their lack of access.
“Some people were disappointed that we did not get to see as many legislators as we did aids,” Shuttleworth said.
Other students noted the importance of the trip for JMU.
“We were representing JMUs’ interests, so hopefully the legislators will make this positive change on behalf of our students,” Shuttleworth said.
