The Government of the Student Body cabinet has been lobbying the Iowa Legislature to vote against a bill pending in the House that would ban alcohol in dorm rooms at all of the state’s college and universities.

GSB President Matt Craft said GSB opposes the legislation because it is too extreme of a measure, and students were not consulted before it was proposed.

“The main reason we are against the legislation is we do not believe that it is the appropriate solution to alcohol abuse. [However], it is noble of them to want to help,” said Craft, senior in political science.

Eric Bidwell and China Wong, GSB co-directors of Inter-Governmental Affairs, have been traveling to Des Moines to talk to state legislators and lobbyists and to make their case for voting against the bill.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Rosemary Thomson, R-Marion, and it should come to a full-House vote within the next couple of weeks.

Bidwell said he thought Thomson’s bill, an attempt to battle the dangers of binge drinking, does not allow for a close examination of the problem.

“She doesn’t have a good enough grasp on the issue, and she is jumping to conclusions,” said Bidwell, senior in agricultural studies.

In response, Thomson said she has done extensive research on collegiate alcohol abuse, and her proposed bill is not as drastic as it seems.

She pointed out the Florida Board of Regents recently passed a policy banning drinking on campus, and the University of Iowa decided on its own to make all of its dorms dry by the 2000-2001 academic year.

Thomson also said the bill would correct what she thinks is currently a double-standard applied to college students and non-students.

“If you had a friend who was under 21 who didn’t go to college and got a possession for drinking, they were breaking the law and would feel the full force of the law. If you were underage and you were in college, you would be able to walk free. We have two standards,” she said.

Bidwell said one main concern is that if the bill does pass, it would severely affect Iowa State’s residence-hall system.

Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence, said he agreed with Thomson’s points but not necessarily her method.

“I think their intentions are good, but it may be the wrong approach,” Alexander said.

Craft said he thought the residence halls would be hurt by the bill.

“I could see it hurting Hawthorn Court because it’s mainly upperclassmen. Maybe not as much in the other dorms, but it’s hard to tell. It might not hurt, but it sure won’t help. It’s like trying to swat a fly with a butcher knife,” he said.

Alexander said he was not sure if the bill would negatively affect the residence halls.

“Really, I don’t know if this bill will hurt us. It’s difficult to tell how much. In the short run, it will hurt us somewhat in numbers, but as the newness of it wears off, it might not have as much of a impact,” he said.

Craft said one of GSB’s main concerns about the bill was the lack of student input taken into consideration before the proposal was drafted.

“I would have preferred them coming to us and getting us involved before the bill was even proposed,” he said.

Thomson, however, maintained that she is trying to get students involved in this decision.

“I am really bending over backwards to get students’ opinions on this. Usually, we do outreach at the Capitol, but I have went to colleges and talked to students and administrators. People are getting mad because they think we are spoiling their fun, but we are more concerned with the health and safety of students,” she said.

Bidwell added that GSB is urging students who have opinions either way about the bill to e-mail their state legislators. E-mail addresses of all members of the House of Representatives can be found on the Internet at http://www.legis.state.ia.us/ GA/78GA/House/Members/.