By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services/Arizona Daily Star
The state Board of Regents voted 7-2 Monday to suspend the ability of the Arizona Students’ Association to impose its $2-a-semester fee on university students, amid questions of how the money is being spent.
Regents’ spokeswoman Katie Paquet said the board is evaluating whether it is appropriate to have the fee collected as part of tuition, given that the regents have no control over the association.
That includes how the fees – about $300,000 a semester – are spent.
The issue gained steam, however, in the wake of disclosure that the association contributed $120,000 in student funds to support Proposition 204.
That measure, which failed in November, would have created a permanent 1-cent-per-dollar sales tax surcharge in Arizona. While most of the cash would have gone to K-12 education, some of the proceeds were earmarked for university funding.
“That brought the matter into clear relief for everybody,” Regent Jay Heiler said. “There’s been a tremendous amount of discussion since then.”
Danielle Bryant, secretary of the Arizona Students’ Association, said she believes the regents’ action is a direct response to her group favoring a ballot measure that was opposed by Gov. Jan Brewer and most Republican legislators.
“It definitely does look like a political move,” Bryant said.
