Associated Students, Inc. decided unanimously to pass emergency legislation to address registration holds being placed on students with outstanding parking tickets at a meeting Oct. 15.

The legislation states that ASI “condemns the administration for taking such action.” Board members said they hope the university will choose other means that are less detrimental to students’ education.

ASI President Peter Ucovich and Vice President Luke Wood said they proposed the legislation because they, along with fellow board members, believe that a hold on student registration is too harsh a punishment for unpaid parking tickets.

“When students can’t register, they don’t get the classes they want and then their graduation date is pushed back,” Wood said. “Basically, we are condemning the university for being less concerned about education and more concerned with running a business.”

Wood said he hopes to conduct classroom presentations to inform students about administrative decisions regarding changes in the parking situation.

During the meeting, the board also moved to make an amendment to the legislation, which calls for the establishment of a committee.

The committee will explore other alternatives to parking enforcement and decide what steps ASI can take to encourage the university to use different means to enforce parking, that do not have the possibility to affect the education of students.

Ucovich said he also hopes to meet with President Gonzalez to discuss these alternatives. Board members, speaking in favor of the legislation at the meeting, also pointed out there are only 9,800 spaces on campus, but more than 28,000 students.

Wood informed the board that since 1997, there has been a permit sale increase of 3,298 permits. Despite this, only 36 new parking spaces have been added since then, Wood said.

Parking tickets are being handled like any other university debt, such as an overdue library book. The holds will affect students’ registration for spring 2004.

According to the legislation, the registration holds create a “mine field of barriers in the educational process.” If students cannot afford to pay a parking ticket, it may prevent them from continuing their higher education.Payment plans are available through Student Financial Services office, said Nancy Fox, University Transportation and Parking Services manager.

For students, the university’s hold will be in addition to one already enacted by the DMV.

Guests on campus, however, will not receive any other penalty from the university for unpaid citations.

“It’s not fair that visitors who get parking tickets won’t face other consequences too” said Junior Sam Shepherd, a business major. “Why should we be punished twice just because we’re students?”