Spring Break
State to vote on tax-free textbooks
By: Rick Rojas
Issue date: 5/4/07 Section: News
Legislation that would allow college students to buy textbooks tax-free passed in the finance committee of the Texas Senate Thursday and could face a vote in the entire body within the next week.
Senate Bill 49, the name of the legislation authored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, creates 10-day windows in August and January during which college students can buy their textbooks for the upcoming semester without paying taxes, if they show a valid ID from an institution of higher education upon purchase.
The price of textbooks increased 3.4 percent between the 2003 and 2004 school years, Zaffirini wrote in the legislation, and textbook sales make up a $6.77 billion industry.
Student governments of Texas A&M and other universities have waited a while for this, said Brady Black, executive director of legislative relations for the A&M Student Government Association.
Twenty-one schools in Texas have endorsed the bill through student legislation because it is necessary for today's college students, said Zach Hall, chairman of the tax-free textbook campaign and legislative relations director for student government at the University of Texas-Austin.
"Students are struggling," said Hall, a sophomore government and Spanish major at UT.
Hall said college students pay about $900 annually, on average, for textbooks. And, Black said the financial situation for students has become worse with the deregulation of tuition and rapidly increasing costs.
"We need relief, and tax-free textbooks is one way to get that relief," Hall said.
Besides A&M and UT, representatives from Texas State, Texas Tech, the University of Texas-San Antonio, Baylor and other universities have made multiple trips to Austin to lobby legislators and to testify in support of the bill.
Hall and other students supporting the bill have been working around the clock since they started nearly a year ago, he said.
Zach Neal, internal affairs chairman for legislative affairs at A&M, said with 80 percent of university students in Texas working at least one part-time job to help support themselves, it is necessary for him and other student government officials to provide assistance to their constituencies.
Opponents of the bill point to potential loss of local revenue that would come from the 20 days annually without taxes. If the bill passes and goes into effect on July 1, it would have a projected negative impact of more than $63.1 million dollars by Aug. 31, 2009, the bill's fiscal note states.
Though, the bill could benefit local economies because students would save approximately $300 annually, and could spend the tax savings elsewhere, said Neal, a junior accounting major.
Likely to face a vote in the next week, Hall said senators are paying attention to their lobbying efforts, and the support of the Senate Finance Committee should be beneficial.
"I think by passing Senate Finance - getting unanimous support - is their way of saying this is something important," Hall said.
Based on the indications he has received, Black said Senate Bill 49 should pass.
Senate Bill 49, the name of the legislation authored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, creates 10-day windows in August and January during which college students can buy their textbooks for the upcoming semester without paying taxes, if they show a valid ID from an institution of higher education upon purchase.
The price of textbooks increased 3.4 percent between the 2003 and 2004 school years, Zaffirini wrote in the legislation, and textbook sales make up a $6.77 billion industry.
Student governments of Texas A&M and other universities have waited a while for this, said Brady Black, executive director of legislative relations for the A&M Student Government Association.
Twenty-one schools in Texas have endorsed the bill through student legislation because it is necessary for today's college students, said Zach Hall, chairman of the tax-free textbook campaign and legislative relations director for student government at the University of Texas-Austin.
"Students are struggling," said Hall, a sophomore government and Spanish major at UT.
Hall said college students pay about $900 annually, on average, for textbooks. And, Black said the financial situation for students has become worse with the deregulation of tuition and rapidly increasing costs.
"We need relief, and tax-free textbooks is one way to get that relief," Hall said.
Besides A&M and UT, representatives from Texas State, Texas Tech, the University of Texas-San Antonio, Baylor and other universities have made multiple trips to Austin to lobby legislators and to testify in support of the bill.
Hall and other students supporting the bill have been working around the clock since they started nearly a year ago, he said.
Zach Neal, internal affairs chairman for legislative affairs at A&M, said with 80 percent of university students in Texas working at least one part-time job to help support themselves, it is necessary for him and other student government officials to provide assistance to their constituencies.
Opponents of the bill point to potential loss of local revenue that would come from the 20 days annually without taxes. If the bill passes and goes into effect on July 1, it would have a projected negative impact of more than $63.1 million dollars by Aug. 31, 2009, the bill's fiscal note states.
Though, the bill could benefit local economies because students would save approximately $300 annually, and could spend the tax savings elsewhere, said Neal, a junior accounting major.
Likely to face a vote in the next week, Hall said senators are paying attention to their lobbying efforts, and the support of the Senate Finance Committee should be beneficial.
"I think by passing Senate Finance - getting unanimous support - is their way of saying this is something important," Hall said.
Based on the indications he has received, Black said Senate Bill 49 should pass.
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