MSA encourages extension of Textbook Transparency Act

MSA would like to see elementary and secondary schools benefit from it.

By Amanda Wysocki

Published March 30, 2009

Following the passage of the Textbook Transparency Act, the Missouri Students Association passed a resolution on March 9 to encourage the state legislature to extend the act to elementary and secondary education.

Former MSA Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays helped to lobby for the initial act and said he would like to see elementary and secondary schools benefit from it as well.

"Elementary and secondary schools buy textbooks in a completely different way," Mays said. "One shared aspect is that they want to buy textbooks to last longer."

Mays said it is important for elementary and secondary schools to know the differences between editions of the textbooks so they can know if the books will last for a longer period of time.

Mays said two key parts of the Textbook Transparency Act he would like to see extended to elementary and secondary schools are the disclosure of price and revision history.

"When you buy textbooks in college, it's a direct cost to the students," Mays said. "The pricing structure is a bit more complicated in elementary and secondary schools."

Rep. Jake Zimmerman, D-Olivet, wrote the legislation for higher education and said he would be willing to write a bill extending it to elementary and secondary schools.

"I am pretty strongly committed to the principles behind the Textbook Transparency Act," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said it would be better to file a bill in January and use the rest of this session in Jefferson City to talk to people and gauge feelings on it.

"It's probably too late to introduce a bill and have it actually go anywhere," Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said he has had conceptual conversations, but not an actual meeting, such as what happened for the Textbook Transparency Act last session.

He said the Associated Students of the University of Missouri contacted him earlier this week.

MSA Senator Phyllis Williams said she would support a bill like this, but that it would be more of an ASUM issue.

"I think we would wait until our assistance is needed because we don't want to step on anyone's toes," Williams said.

Williams played a key role in the lobbying efforts to get the original legislation passed while she was chairwoman of the Academic Affairs Committee.

MSA has passed a resolution stating its full support for any sort of legislation that would help this.

"I think it's a great idea," Williams said. "I don't see any drawbacks from it at all."

Since no official bill has been written yet, MSA has no lobbying timetable set up, said Academic Affairs Committee Chairwoman Erica Zucco, who is a former member of the Maneater staff.

"It's not an issue specifically affecting higher education students, and that's where we're concentrating most of our efforts right now, on issues that affect current MU students," Zucco said.

The Textbook Transparency Act was passed by the state legislature last legislative session and was signed by former Gov. Matt Blunt on June 25, 2008.