Federation in favor of GSAP laws
The South Dakota Board of Regents Student Federation is working on initiatives for students on campuses, including a policy concerning underage drinking, the statewide tuition freeze and anti-cyber bullying campaign.
The Federation discussed these issues at the BOR meetings in Spearfish two weeks ago.
Underage drinking
The Good Samaritan Alcohol Policy is on the move at the Student Federation level, University of South Dakota Student Government Association President Erik Muckey said.
The Student Federation has started a task force and is hoping to find some common ground with law enforcement groups around the state, Muckey said.
SGA Senator Lexy Schuman said GSAP could have a big impact on students everywhere if proposed and implemented by the state’s legislature.
“If minors are at a party drinking and one of them drinks too much and needs medical help, another minor would be allowed to call for emergency services and would not have to worry about being charged for minor consumption,” Schuman said. “They may have other things they may have to worry about but not a minor.”
GSAP has made its way through the state’s legislature before but has been opposed by numerous groups who claim GSAP encourages underage drinking by letting minors get away with drinking.
Advocates for GSAP, however, say the policy creates safer situations for minors in danger and can save lives.
“Basically, our Student Federation direction right now is trying to figure out a way to mesh what we have from the past with whatever kind of ideas we have from law enforcement,” Muckey said. “If we can’t find common ground with law enforcement, we’re going to have a problem. That’s what has been blocking us in the past.”
Tuition freeze
Student government associations around the state have officially agreed to support the tuition freeze.
According to SGA Vice President Clay Hoffman, the Student Federation sent notice to the BOR in support of the tuition freeze and need-based scholarship program.
All that is left now is to write resolutions from the Student Federation to the BOR and Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
Muckey said Student Federation will have to wait until December to lobby for what they want placed on Daugaard’s budget.
“Essentially, what he puts on the budget will go through. But it’s trying to get it on his budget first so the legislature can agree upon it,” Muckey said.
South Dakota is the last state in the nation to have a needs-based aid program, and the state plans to hand out a total of $1.5 million to the universities around South Dakota with each school receiving $250,000.
Cyber-bullying campaign
The Student Federation is also beginning research into a cyber-bullying bill that would extend to all campuses around the state.
Talks about the bill have been ongoing, and the Student Federation and universities around the state are beginning the process of building a case for the bill and figuring out what will help students.
“This is something the Student Federation and the universities want to put research into,” Hoffman said. “There’s a lot that goes into finding help and reasons for cyber bullying, and it’s such a touchy subject. So, I think we’re really just going to focus on the education side of cyber-bullying.”
Muckey said the cyber-bullying bill brings plenty of tough situations. Many of the issues deal with conflicting statutes across the state and national levels and weaving together a law that would work in South Dakota right now is a problem, he said.
“We’re dealing with sites like Facebook and Twitter, where their regulation is coming from the national level. And to try to control what they do is not feasible,” Muckey said. “So, right now, what we’re stuck in is a mode of research.”
