This is the second sustainability bill proposed by the Assembly Representative Mark Pittman, from the College of Law. His previous bill to provide funding for electric car charging stations on campus passed in November. Pittman said this success will make his water bottle refill bill easier to pass.
“Everyone would benefit equally, and the costs would be minimal for everyone involved,” Pittman said.
ASUU president Sam Ortiz voiced approval of Pittman’s idea.
“Encouraging students to use their own refillable water bottles rather than disposable plastic bottles is definitely the goal,” Ortiz said.
Pittman also said that in addition to the funding he is planning to work with the university president’s office to require all colleges on campus to install at least one water bottle station.
The bill would require all colleges in agreement to install a water bottle refill station in their college before March 1. Pittman said that where the stations are installed in each college would be up to their respective deans. The cost per refilling station would be funded 50 percent by the bill Pittman will present to the assembly and senate.
Ortiz supports the policy change to require every college to have at least one refill station.
“[We] can only do so much, but we hope to see U policy shift,” Ortiz said, “[Mark Pittman] and I are also working with administrators to see this happen.”
Pittman’s first bill, which passed through the Assembly and Senate in November, allocated funds from ASUU to install four electric car charging stations. Pittman said that the second bill would be easier for ASUU Reps and Senators to agree on because the cost is less.
One of the major objections to Pittman’s car charger bill was related to the bill’s lack of credible data. Pittman said this is not the case with the water bottle stations and presented more statistics in the upcoming bill than he did for his previous one. He also said he was working closely with the Office of Sustainability to get more funding for this bill as well.
Pittman said that the purpose of the two sustainability bills is to help the campus be greener and more sustainable, which Pittman feels these bills strive to do.
He emphasized the point once again that every member that was elected into ASUU last spring ran with the idea of sustainability as a part of their platform. Pittman said he feels this alone should be enough incentive for representatives and senators to vote in favor of the bill.
Pittman said he hopes to get the bill drawn up and ready to present as early into Spring Semester as possible.