WMU students rally against Proposal 4
Nov. 1, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- The Western Student Association, Western Michigan University's student governing body, will hold an anti-Proposal 4 rally from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, on the campus' Promenade Plaza near Wood Hall.
Area college students as well as high school seniors and their parents are invited to participate in the event or stop by and pick up literature related to the proposal, which will appear on the state ballot Nov. 5.
The WSA approved a declaration opposing Proposal 4 during its regular meeting Oct. 30, contending that the initiative will redirect tobacco settlement funds from state government to "special interest" organizations without public oversight and could have a negative impact on current and future WMU students and their families.
The declaration also encourages a no vote on Proposal 4 on the grounds that tobacco settlement funds were intended to reimburse the state for money it already has spent on tobacco-related illnesses, and because redirecting the funds will mean money will be taken away from the Michigan Merit Award scholarship program, which benefits college-bound high school seniors. The move also would preclude using the funds for other needed programs, even in times of financial crisis.
On Thursday, Oct. 31, President Elson S. Floyd announced the University's official opposition to Proposal 4. Click here for a related WMU News story.
For more information about the rally, call the WSA office at (269) 387-2194.
Media contact: Cheryl Roland, 269 387-8400, cheryl.roland@wmich.edu