The biggest issue among legislation affecting UWL is state
budget.
Legislative liaison Joe Heim says nothing comes close to the
issue of the state budget.
Loss of graduates out of state is a main concern in the
limit of financial assistance one is given for school. In other words, the more
students leave after graduation, the less the state wants to support students
financially. When a state gives financial aid to a student, the state hopes the
student remains for employment.
Budget-cutting and voter suppression is ”payback” for being
a net-loss state for graduates moving, Heim said.
A majority of graduates in the La Crosse area stay in
Wisconsin after graduation. Madison typically loses approximately 1/3 of
graduates to other states, says Heim.
On average, more campuses vote for Democrats. This is
because Democrats typically support lower interest rates for student loans. Republicans are typically in
favor of higher interest rates, limiting the amount of students enrolling for
fear of debt after graduation.
Stricter laws on voter ID’s is placed on college students to
limit the amount of student voters. According
to Heim, higher education and income affect voter turnout. Universities do not have PACs or fund
candidates. The power for universities is voting. Voting is a right, a voice,
he says.
UW-L is one of the higher turn-out campuses for voting.
