ASG Lobbying Event Lacks Funds, Students

The original plan stated that on Feb. 20 about 1,400 students from all schools in the system will meet at the N.C. General Assembly to lobby for several potential legislative bills.

The day's events will include a rally, speeches from student body presidents and one-on-one talks with legislators over lunch.

The UNC Association of Student Governments would field the costs of everything from the fliers to be handed out, lunch for the students and legislators and a stage and sound system.

ASG officials originally estimated the total cost to be $12,910 but have trimmed it down to $5,000.

UNC-CH Student Body President Brad Matthews said Chapel Hill has yet to contribute due to budget difficulties.

"We have not given any additional funds. We're still looking into ways to fund it," Matthews said.

"I'm hoping that the General Administration will help us out on this."

At the last ASG meeting on Jan. 13, delegates clashed over funding for the student day.

No UNC-system school had been able to determine exactly how much money it can contribute to the event.

ASG delegates had selected three resolutions for lobbying the legislators.

The issues include a student vote on the Board of Governors, funding for a need-based financial aid program and a 6 percent faculty salary increase.

Only one student -- ASG President Andrew Payne -- sits on the BOG. He is not a voting member.

Payne said the ASG has had to cut back due to the budget difficulties but that the event is still planned. "We've had to cut back on the magnitude," Payne said. "It's going to impact (the ASG's credibility) tremendously -- if we can show a strong presence out there. This is going to put us over the top."

N.C. State University Student Body President Harold Pettigrew said his school also has not been able to contribute to the event but will do so in the immediate future.

"We are just going through the proper procedure to get the funding," Pettigrew said.

"It's definite that we will contribute, but the Senate will decide for the most part how much."

He added that 60 students plan to attend the event. At the January ASG meeting, N.C. State delegates predicted a turnout of 700 students from their campus.

But Charles Lawley III, who is organizing the Student Day at the Capitol event, remains optimistic about the turnout.

He said various campaigns on the N.C. State campus have been geared toward students. "We've got a list of students' e-mail addresses who say that they're interested in it, we've got close to a hundred names of people who'd like to go."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.