The Round-Up: Week of April 19
Fee hikes, guns on campus, and a senator resigns — all in this week's Round-Up. You have been dying to catch up on your news this week, so let's get started. Welcome to The Round-Up.
Around ASU
This week the Parking and Transit Services announced it would be raising the price of the U-Pass from its current price of $80 an academic year to $150 an academic year. The U-Pass allows students to take an unlimited number of trips on the Metro Light Rail and Valley Metro bus routes.
Veterans will have a much easier transition to civilian life in Arizona and at ASU due to a new law that will allow veterans to pay in-state tuition and a new veterans’ center that will open on the Tempe campus. The center will help meet veterans’ health and educational needs and will be named in honor of Pat Tillman.
ASU received third place on the list of Playboy’s “Top 10 Party Schools” this week. Last year, the University was ranked sixth. Reasons behind the decision included “outrageous pool parties in February” and the yearly Undie Run.
Around Arizona
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer surprised many on Monday by vetoing a bill that would allow guns on campus and the so-called “birther bill” that would require candidates to show a long-form birth certificate or equivalent to be on the state’s ballot. Brewer said the guns bill was “poorly written” and that the “birther bill” set a dangerous precedent.
The Arizona Legislative session ended this week, reports Alia Beard Rau, Mary Jo Pitzl and Ginger Rough of The Arizona Republic. Numerous items passed including a $538 million tax cut that Brewer and Republican legislators touted as a “jobs bill” and budget that made deep spending cuts. Proposed immigration measures failed in March when they were brought up.
As the legislative session ended, the state legislature approved dozens of bills that will be sent to the governor, reports Alia Beard Rau of The Arizona Republic. Brewer must make decisions on the bills in the coming day. A list of the bills can be found here.
Around the country
Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign will be resigning due to potential ethics violations surrounding his extramarital affair with former campaign aide, Cindy Hampton, report Manu Raju and John Bresnahan of Politico. The resignation will take place May 3. His seat will be filled by an appointment from Nevada's Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.
President Barack Obama’s deficit reduction plan would still cause the nation to borrow $7 trillion over the next decade, reports Lori Montgomery of The Washington Post. This is significantly more than the House Republican budget, which would require the nation to borrow $5.4 trillion, and the president’s fiscal commission’s recommendations, which would need the nation to borrow $5.3 trillion.
