Associated Students, Inc. will begin a letter writing campaignagainst the bill that could bar all California colleges anduniversities from the National Collegiate AthleticsAssociation.

ASI’s Board of Directors passed a resolution Nov. 12 thatwill require the organization’s Office of GovernmentalAffairs to begin the campaign.

SB 193, dubbed the “Student Athlete Bill of Rights,”states that if passed, California institutions of higher educationwould be prohibited from joining any organization that dictates theterms, length, value and conditions of student-athletescholarships.

Marlon Cuellar, ASI’s director of governmental affairs andstudent organizing, will lead the campaign.

Cuellar said he is planning to write a few different letters andhave students and faculty sign them before they are sent to theCapitol. Cuellar said he is also looking at the possibility ofgetting Sacramento State athletes involved in the campaign.

SB 193, sponsored by senators Kevin Murray, D-Los Angeles andJohn Burton, D-San Francisco, passed the Senate floor May 29 with28 affirmative votes and 10 votes against.

The bill will continue through the Assembly when the sessionreopens in January.

Until then, ASI and the Office of Governmental Affairs willbegin its letter writing campaign.

The Office of Governmental Affairs is new to ASI this semester.In the past, ASI has passed resolutions against propositions 187and 209.

At that time, the only mechanism used to fight such propositionswas the student Lobby Corps. The corps was made up of volunteersand had little leadership or organization, Cuellar said. Now that apermanent office with paid directorial positions has beenestablished, it is Cuellar and ASI’s hope that student voiceswill be heard.

“I feel privileged to be here,” Cuellar said of hisposition. “I may not get to see some of the changes that willcome over the next few years, but at least it be here for otherstudents.”

An assistant director was recently hired to assist Cuellar insuch projects. Tiffany Lopez will now handle student organizingwhile Cuellar focuses primarily on campaign research.

As for next semester, Cuellar’s plans include encouragingASI board members to propose resolutions against Propositions 55and 56.

Proposition 55, a $12 million bond measure that will appear onthe March ballot, will be one of Cuellar’s primary concernsfor next semester.

Proposition 56, also slated for the March ballot, would allowthe legislature to raise state taxes with a simple majority, ratherthan the two-thirds vote requirement currently in place.