Briefing discusses legislation

For anyone who wants to impact Tech affairs in the legislative arena, the place to be next Saturday, Nov. 18 is the Legislative Network fall briefing. The 2006 briefing will be held in the Clary Theater of the Student Success Center.

Hosted by the Alumni Association, the briefing will discuss the upcoming Ga. legislative session and the issues that Tech will focus on in that session.

According to Andrew Harris, the director of Government Relations in the Legislative Network, the group meets once every year in the late fall, usually before a home football game, to discuss Tech's and the University System of Georgia's priorities and to make a strategy for the following legislative session.

This year's briefing begins two hours before the kickoff to Tech's final home game of the year against Duke.

There will be three speakers at this year's fall briefing: Jerry Keen, the majority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives; Institute President Wayne Clough; and Tom Daniel, the interim chief operating officer and executive vice chancellor of the Board of Regents.

"The main purpose of the briefing is to inform the state legislature of Tech's agenda for the next legislative session. We tell [the legislature] why Tech is important to the state," Harris said.

Harris explained that Tech's agenda for the meeting is to introduce to the legislature a proposal that will allow the university to carry over internal funds (such as tuition) each fiscal year to exempt college textbooks from the state sales tax and to allow for the full funding of the university system's funding formula, which would include restoration of the "major repairs" and "rehabilitation" portion of the formula.

Funding the formula would cost the state approximately $70 million, according to Harris. This formula is based upon enrollment at the school-how much money the school gets is determined by how many students are there.

Tech and the rest of Georgia's state universities have the power to carry over money from one fiscal year to the next, but if the money is not used within two years, it goes away as part of the "sunset clause."

Tech's plan is to try to change the law so that there is no sunset clause and the state universities can carry over their money from year to year without fear of losing any.

Harris said that the push to exempt college textbooks from the state sales tax was initiated last year by Tech students.

If textbooks were exempted from taxes, the state would lose six million dollars in revenue.

According to Harris, cutting the state sales tax on college textbooks would save the average college student around $70 every semester, which adds up to just over $400 for a typical four-year college student.

The Legislative Network is made up of Tech alumni and students. It was established back in the 1980s to help Tech build a relationship with the state legislature.

When asked why the school does not appeal to the federal legislature for school funding, Harris responded that most of the funding that comes from the nation's capital is used for research.

"We want as many students to come and get involved [with the Legislative Network] as possible. Students are the reason everyone is here at the university and students are the best ambassadors to the legislators," Harris said.

Harris believes that the legislators listen to students more than others at the university because everyone else involved in the Legislature Network is paid.

Harris said that since students are not paid by the university, legislators are more likely to listen to them than to those people who are paid by the university.

Depending on the kickoff time for the Duke vs. Tech game on the 18th, either lunch or brunch will be served to those who RSVP by sending an email to Betsy Jackson (betsy.jackson@dev.gatech.edu) by Nov. 14.

At the briefing, there will be a short question and answer session after each speaker so that students, staff, faculty and others in attendance can ask questions.

After all the speeches have been concluded, each speaker will be available for discussion with the audience members.