I Don’t Hate America!

The United States House of Representatives today is debating H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007.

One part of the bill, which addresses the problems concerning textbook prices, was pushed by Rep. Tim Walz of Minnesota. Two issues specifically addressed by the legislation include the frequent release of new editions of books and bundling of additional course materials, both which have been shown to increase the cost of textbooks.

During debate, Walz took to the floor today and evoked the name of our late colleague and friend, Jared Stene, who we here at IDHA had the privilege of serving beside in the Winona State Student Senate and working with to bring about awareness to the issues of textbook costs.

“Jared worked for years tirelessly on this issue to bring some transparency in how textbooks are marketed,” Walz said on the floor.

This legislation appears to do just that. Here is the section of the bill addressing textbook costs:

`SEC. 134. TEXTBOOK INFORMATION.

`(a) Purpose and Intent- The purpose of this section is to ensure that every student in higher education is offered better and more timely access to affordable course materials by educating and informing faculty, students, administrators, institutions of higher education, bookstores, distributors, and publishers on all aspects of the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials. It is the intent of this section–

`(1) to have all involved parties work together to identify ways to decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials for students while protecting the academic freedom of faculty members to select high quality course materials for students; and

`(2) to encourage–

`(A) college textbook publishers and distributors to work with faculty to promote understanding of the cost to students of purchasing faculty selected textbooks, including the disclosure of prices and bundling practices;

`(B) college bookstores to work with faculty to review timelines and processes for ordering and stocking course materials, and to disclose costs to faculty and students in a timely manner;

`(C) institutions of higher education to implement numerous options to address college textbook affordability;

`(D) institutions of higher education to work with student organizations to help students understand the factors driving textbook costs and available methods and resources to mitigate the effects of those costs; and

`(E) innovation in the development and use of course materials (including course materials utilizing the principles of universal design) and technologies that can help students receive the full value of their educational investment.

`(b) Definitions- In this section:

`(1) BUNDLE- The term `bundle’ means one or more college textbooks or other supplemental learning materials that may be packaged together to be sold as course materials for one price.

`(2) COLLEGE TEXTBOOK- The term `college textbook’ means a textbook or a set of textbooks, used for, or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at an institution of higher education.

`(3) COURSE SCHEDULE- The term `course schedule’ means a listing of the courses or classes offered by an institution of higher education for an academic period, as defined by the institution.

`(4) CUSTOM TEXTBOOK- The term `custom textbook’–

`(A) means a college textbook that is compiled at the direction of a faculty member or other person or adopting entity in charge of selecting course materials at an institution of higher education; and

`(B) may include, alone or in combination, items such as selections from original instructor materials, previously copyrighted publisher materials, copyrighted third-party works, and elements unique to a specific institution, such as commemorative editions.

`(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION- The term `institution of higher education’ has the meaning given the term in section 102.

`(6) INTEGRATED TEXTBOOK- The term `integrated textbook’ means a college textbook that is combined with materials developed by a third party and that, by third-party contractual agreement, may not be offered by publishers separately from the college textbook with which the materials are combined.

`(7) PUBLISHER- The term `publisher’ means a publisher of college textbooks or supplemental materials involved in or affecting interstate commerce.

`(8) SUBSTANTIAL CONTENT- The term `substantial content’ means parts of a college textbook, such as new chapters, additional eras of time, new themes, or new subject matter.

`(9) SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL- The term `supplemental material’ means educational material developed to accompany a college textbook, which–

`(A) may include printed materials, computer disks, website access, and electronically distributed materials; and

`(B) is not bound by third-party contractual agreements to be sold in an integrated textbook.

`(c) Publisher Requirements-

`(1) COLLEGE TEXTBOOK PRICING INFORMATION- When a publisher provides a faculty member or other person or adopting entity in charge of selecting course materials at an institution of higher education with information regarding a college textbook or supplemental material, the publisher shall include, with any such information and in writing, the following:

`(A) The price at which the publisher would make the college textbook or supplemental material available to the bookstore on the campus of, or otherwise associated with, such institution of higher education.

`(B) The copyright dates of all previous editions of such college textbook, if any.

`(C) The substantial content revisions made between the current edition of the college textbook or supplemental material and the previous edition, if any.

`(D) Whether the college textbook or supplemental material is available in any other format, including paperback and unbound, and the price at which the publisher would make the college textbook or supplemental material in the other format available to the bookstore on the campus of, or otherwise associated with, such institution of higher education.

`(2) UNBUNDLING OF COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS FROM SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS- A publisher that sells a college textbook and any supplemental material accompanying such college textbook as a single bundle shall also make available the college textbook and each supplemental material as separate and unbundled items, each separately priced.

`(3) CUSTOM TEXTBOOKS- To the maximum extent practicable, publishers shall provide the information required under this subsection with respect to the development and provision of custom textbooks.

`(d) Provision of ISBN College Textbook Information in Course Schedules-

`(1) INTERNET COURSE SCHEDULES- Each institution of higher education, to the maximum extent practicable, shall–

`(A) disclose the International Standard Book Number and retail price information of required and recommended textbooks, related materials, and supplies for each course listed in the institution’s course schedule used for pre-registration and registration purposes;

`(B) if the International Standard Book Number is not available for the items listed in subparagraph (A), use the author, title, publisher, and copyright date; and

`(C) if the institution determines that the disclosure of the information described in the preceding subparagraphs for a course is not practicable for a textbook, related material, or supply, then it should so indicate by placing the designation `To Be Determined’ in lieu of the information required under such subparagraphs.

`(2) WRITTEN COURSE SCHEDULES- In the case of an institution of higher education that does not publish the institution’s course schedule for the subsequent academic period on the Internet, the institution of higher education shall include the information required under paragraph (1) in any printed version of the institution’s course schedule as it is available at the time of the course schedule’s printing.

`(e) Availability of Information for College Bookstores- An institution of higher education shall make available, as soon as is practicable, upon the request of any college bookstore, the most accurate information available regarding–

`(1) the institution’s course schedule for the subsequent academic period; and

`(2) for each course or class offered by the institution for the subsequent academic period–

`(A) the information required by subsection (d)(1) for each college textbook or supplemental material required or recommended for such course or class;

`(B) the number of students enrolled in such course or class; and

`(C) the maximum student enrollment for such course or class.

`(f) Rule of Construction- Nothing in this section shall be construed to supercede the institutional autonomy or academic freedom of instructors involved in the selection of college textbooks and classroom materials.

`(g) Effective Date- This section shall be effective on and after July 1, 2008.’.

Oh man I have just been buying my textbooks for this semester and it is getting f-ing ridiculous!! Least we have a people in office like my hometown State Senator Chuck Wiger who has been purposing pilot rental programs for years…Anyway here are the Obama weekly points.

Weekly Talking Points | August 13 – August 19, 2007

Barack Obama Schedule: Last Tuesday, Barack Obama hosted a rally at Soldier Field in Chicago just before taking a stand at the AFL-CIO Working Families Presidential Candidates Forum to impressive reviews. On Wednesday, he spent the day with a homecare worker as part of SEIU’s Walk a Day in My Shoes program. Thursday, he took part in The Human Rights Campaign Forum in Los Angeles. On Friday, he visited Las Vegas, where he addressed the National Association of Black Journalists Convention and the Culinary Workers Union. Over the weekend, he served as the grand marshal of the Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago. Monday, Barack Obama visits New Hampshire for a “Taking Back our Government” roundtable in Hanover, a rally in Keene, and an event in Nashua.

On Wednesday, Barack Obama begins the Road to Change Tour, starting off in Cedar Falls with a discussion on transparency in government, followed by an address to the state AFL-CIO convention in Waterloo. Thursday, he conducts a foreign policy discussion in Council Bluffs, then visits a potluck in Atlantic before attending the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Friday, he holds a rural policy summit in Tama before delivering the keynote address at the Wing Ding Dinner in Clear Lake. Over the weekend, Barack Obama will hold an energy discussion in Waverly, speak to the Workers for a Better Iowa Forum in Cedar Rapids, then participate in the ABC News Democratic Presidential Candidates’ Debate on Sunday morning in Des Moines.

Michelle Obama Schedule: Sunday, Michelle Obama was in Chicago with her mother, her daughters, and over 500 friends and supporters at the kickoff of South Side Women for Obama. On Wednesday, Michelle and her daughters will join Barack Obama on the Road to Change tour in Iowa.

The Road to Change Tour: Barack Obama’s hitting the road this week, bringing his plans for real change to towns across Iowa. He believes that for too long, we’ve had a politics that’s put the special interests ahead of the national interests. That’s what he’s running for President to change. He believes that if we can put our government back in the hands of the American people, then whether it’s universal health care or energy independence, there are few limits to what we can achieve in this country.

On Health Care: Over the last decade, the drug and insurance industries spent $1 billion in lobbying. And their friends in Congress made it illegal for our government to negotiate with the drug companies for cheaper drug prices. As President, he’ll sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of his first term that will cover every American, cut the cost of a typical family’s premiums by up to $2,500 a year, and make it legal to negotiate with the drug companies for cheaper drugs.

On Energy: When Dick Cheney was crafting our energy policy, he met with environmental groups once. He met with the renewable energy folks once. And he met with oil and gas companies 40 times. So at a time when Exxon is making record profits, Americans are paying three times as much at the pump as they were several years ago.

As President, Barack Obama will create a National Low-Carbon Fuel Standard to accelerate the production of renewable fuels. He’s also called for us to get half of all gas stations and all consumer vehicles E-85 compatible within a decade. And he has challenged our automakers to more than double fuel economy over the next twenty years.

On Rural Issues: When Barack Obama is President, he’ll make sure the rural agenda is America’s agenda. He understands that one of the reasons small towns and rural areas aren’t thriving as much as they should be is that our government is handing out subsidies to big agribusiness rather than investing that money in family farms and building up rural communities. He knows that when we lose our family farms, we lose something that’s distinctly American, so he’ll fight to make sure that doesn’t happen.

On Ethics Reform: Unlike some candidates, Barack Obama actually believes that Washington lobbyists don’t represent real Americans. He believes that if you don’t think lobbyists have too much influence in Washington, you’ve been in Washington too long. That’s why he has done more to curb the influence of lobbyists and special interests than any other candidate in this race.

He has said that money’s influence in politics is the original sin of everyone who’s ever run for office – himself included. But he believes in leading by example. In the Illinois State Senate, he brought both parties together to pass the first major ethics reform in twenty-five years. In this campaign, he has refused to take any money from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

On Foreign Policy: For years, conventional thinking in Washington has said that the United States cannot talk to its adversaries because it would reward them. By any measure, not talking has not worked. Barack Obama is not afraid of losing a PR battle to a dictator – he’s ready to tell them what they don’t want to hear. And he’s not afraid of defying the conventional thinking that says we should keep our troops in the middle of someone else’s civil war but not take out Osama bin Laden if we had him in our sights. Barack Obama’s national security strategy is just what we need now – a new era of tough, principled American diplomacy to deal with 21st century challenges.

On Iraq: Barack Obama knows that the time for us to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we went in. He opposed the Iraq war before it was popular to do, and he introduced a plan that would have ended the war by commencing a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq with the goal of redeploying all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008. Letting the Iraqis know that U.S. forces will not be there forever is our last, best hope to pressure the Sunnis and Shi’a to come to the table and find peace.

Fundraising: In a record-breaking outpouring of grassroots support, more than 258,000 donors – 154,000 in the second quarter alone – have joined Barack Obama’s movement for change. The campaign raised $31.6 million in primary funds for a total of $32.9 million in the second quarter – all of it without accepting any money from PACs or Washington lobbyists. $10.3 million was raised online, with 90% of all online donations in amounts of $100 or less and 50% of all online donations in amounts of $25 or less.

Web: Senator Obama is running a different kind of campaign, empowering people with the tools to take organizing into their own hands. The result: more people are more deeply involved than ever before. Since the website was launched in February, more than 5,000 grassroots groups have been created, and more than 70,000 people have created profiles on my.barackobama.com.

Barack Obama’s Biography: Senator Obama moved to Illinois over two decades ago with little money and no family connections, getting a job for $12,000 a year as a community organizer in some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods. Later, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School, became a civil rights lawyer, and taught constitutional law before winning a seat in the Illinois State Senate.

As a State Senator, he joined both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education and the strongest ethics reform in Illinois in 25 years. After a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, Obama has worked with the Republican leader of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Richard Lugar, to pass a law that would secure and destroy some of the world’s deadliest weapons. He has also helped lead the fight for the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate, and found common ground on issues including energy policy, helping push through a provision that will offer tax credits to gas stations for installing refueling pumps with E85 – a blend of 85 percent clean-burning, domestically grown ethanol and 15 percent petroleum gasoline.