With the cost of higher education increasing annually, members of the Government of the Student Body and several state senators are attempting to curb the expense by offering a sales tax exemption on textbooks.

“The bill would allow students to save a few dollars,” said Johnie Hammond (D-Ames). “Only the stores that actually sell textbooks will be affected.”

Senate File 268 states that “the bill exempts from the sales and use taxes the sale of textbooks by a bookstore located in the city of an accredited higher education institution to a full-time or part-time student enrolled in such institution.”

The bill was introduced to the Senate on March 2 by Hammond, Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City) and Bob Dvorsky (D-Coralville).

“This was actually brought to me by GSB,” Hammond said. “Bryan Burkhardt and Dede Jordan-Harris did a great deal of research in their investigation.”

Burkhardt, president of GSB, said students should get some relief from this bill.

“It is important we try to help students with the rising cost of education,” he said. “Each year, tuition increases because the Board of Regents votes for an increase and is encouraged by the administration. This is one step in which we can help keep the cost of education, especially the cost of higher education, down.”

The bill defines textbooks as including electronic textbooks, computer software, interactive videodiscs and other computer courseware and magnetic media.

“It is going to help students a little when it comes to the tuition increase,” Hammond said.

Students are feeling a financial pinch because of tuition hikes, said Jordan-Harris, director of inter-governmental affairs.

“We are doing this because it will save students a lot of money,” Jordan-Harris said.

The total amount students would save originally was calculated to be $4.5 million, but Hammond thought that figure would be too high for legislators to approve. It was recalculated to $3.6 million, but Hammond said she wanted it under $3 million.

“Where it stands right now, it is estimated at $3.6 million that students wouldn’t have to pay, but that is also money that the state will no longer receive,” Burkhardt said. “That amount is too high for some of the legislators.”

Similar bills have been passed in several states such as Minnesota, New York and Texas, Jordan-Harris said.

“Other states are doing similar things, and we have been doing research about it,” Burkhardt said. “[Jordan-Harris] and I cooperatively are researching the code of each of those states. DeDe is doing further research on how we can lower the estimate so it has a better chance.”