Senator Patrick Hogan speaks to the University System of Maryland Delegates during Lobby Day, February 27, 2015.
University students traveled to Annapolis on Friday to advocate an intern protection bill and lower tuition as part of the University System of Maryland’s annual Lobby Day.
The University System of Maryland Student Council and 10 state public schools developed a list of issues for students to discuss with state legislators, said Dirk Parham, a second-year graduate student studying finance and applied anthropology. Six students from this university attended, said Aiden Galloway, a junior government and politics major.
“Lobbying is one of the most important things that we do as the [Student Government Association],” said SGA President Patrick Ronk, a junior government and politics major. “Especially with all the other public schools in Maryland as a joint force, [it] makes [us] a stronger force.”
With more than 3,000 university students receiving course credit for internships in a given year, Galloway said, it was especially important that the group lobbied for the intern protection bill, which would offer interns the same protection against discrimination and sexual harassment as full-time employees.
This bill was debated last year but died in committee because that version defined interns as a type of employee. This caused some delegates and senators to worry that labeling interns as official employees could open businesses to more lawsuits, Ronk said.
Ronk said university students presented a new version of the bill to senators and delegates, which included revisions such as clarifying that interns are not employees and allowing them to file complaints with human resources departments or the state’s Commission on Civil Rights if they are harassed or discriminated against.
Galloway, along with other students, testified in a House of Delegates hearing Feb. 11 and plans to testify before state senators on Tuesday.
“[The intern protection bill] is very highly supported, and it’s bipartisan. I’m very optimistic about it passing this year,” Ronk said.
Students also voiced their opinions on another issue that affects almost all students: lowering tuition, said Charmaine Wilson-Jones, the SGA’s vice president for academic affairs and a senior government and politics major.
Gov. Larry Hogan’s 2016 fiscal budget includes university system projections for a 5 percent tuition increase at system institutions, while the state faces a $750 million revenue shortfall.
This semester, university President Wallace Loh increased tuition by 2 percent to help mitigate the university’s $15.6 million state-mandated budget cut.
“[Lobby Day] gives students a voice, especially [with] things like the tuition surcharge,” Parham said. “[Students can] talk to people that are really affecting the funding for [this] university.”
Most senators were receptive and eager to talk to students, said Deborah Hemingway, president of the Graduate Student Government. Wilson-Jones said Del. Alonzo Washington (D-Prince George’s) agreed to co-sponsor the intern protection bill after hearing students’ advocacy points.
“[The senators and delegates] love talking to students. I would say we are one of their favorite groups to talk to,” Ronk said. “They love seeing student advocacy.”
This year’s Lobby Day was structured differently. In previous years, students lobbied senators and delegates in meetings but also held a rally outside with speakers, Ronk said. There was no rally this year to allow for more one-on-one meetings with lawmakers.
Despite the new structure, this year’s Lobby Day was a major success, Galloway said. The senators and delegates were very responsive to the students’ advocacy and were interested in helping out, he said.
“It’s really important to advocate to our state legislators,” Hemingway said. “A lot of funding comes from the state, and it’s important to recognize the values of higher education.”
