MSA lobbies for lower book prices

By Jewels Phraner

Published Oct. 30, 2007

As a result of state legislation urged in a Missouri Students Association bill, textbook publishers would be required to tell professors how much students are paying for their textbooks.

MSA took steps on Monday night to alleviate high textbook prices by officially submitting a resolution to its senators.

"It's one way we're trying to facilitate transparency from text book companies," MSA Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays said. Mays also wrote the bill.

The bill recommends to the Missouri General Assembly that publishers be required to disclose to instructors "necessary information" needed to select a course textbook, according to the bill's text.

The bill will be discussed in MSA Senate committee meetings tonight and then, if passed, will be added to the agenda for Wednesday's senate meeting for approval.

MSA plans to work with the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, the UM system student lobbying group, to convince legislators that a statewide law is one solution to high textbook prices, Mays said.

"From this resolution, we plan to work with ASUM to lobby state legislators to make this happen," Mays said.

ASUM Legislator Director Craig Stevenson said once MSA's legislation is passed, he would bring it up to the ASUM Board of Directors at their Nov. 10 meeting.

"I'm sure this is something they will be interested in pursuing," Stevenson said.

Two similar laws that passed in Washington and California inspired the idea, Mays said.

The Washington law was signed on April 27, and specifically requires textbook companies to provide information on their student prices to professors.

The California law, which was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Oct. 11, prohibits public universities from buying or selling a textbook unless the publisher makes information available about the textbook. The bill doesn't require that the companies disclose the book's price.

Stevenson said he would contact a few state legislators to see how they feel about each of the bills, including a previous California bill that was passed in the House, but vetoed by Schwarzenegger.