By

The Kentucky General Assembly showed courage by passing a bill to increase taxes on tobacco and alcohol.  These industries are historical cornerstones of the Kentucky economy, and their lobbyists are strong.  However, the General Assembly put the interests of Kentucky’s citizens and students first, by voting for the measure.
Kentucky has one of the five lowest tobacco taxes in the country, and even with this recent increase, will remain near the lowest 25th-percentile in the country.  Yet, a greater percentage of Kentuckians smoke than in any other state.  Certainly the tax will be affective in generating much needed revenue.
Meanwhile, the bill extended the state sales tax of 6 percent to packaged alcohol products, ending their prior exemption.  Between them, the taxes are expected to produce an additional $179 million a year. The measures are reasonable ones; it was unwise to grant alcohol a sales tax exemption in the first place.
Essentially all funding for the University of Louisville’s general fund comes from state appropriations and student tuition.  Year after year of 9 percent tuition increases at U of L can hardly be sustained.  Tuition today is double what it was 10 years ago.
The university brags that this is their most qualified freshmen class in history, with the highest ACT scores in history, but it’s not surprising in light of the continuous tuition increases.  Increasing the exclusivity of admissions will only weed out the low-income students.  Turning U of L into a private school is not a solution; we need more state funding.  Higher tuition negatively impacts retention rates and faculty-to-student ratios.
Classrooms are overcrowded, and U of L desperately needs another academic building on the Belknap campus.  However, the General Assembly has yet to authorize the construction of this new building because of the state budget shortfalls.
Lawmakers in Frankfort agree that these most recent tax increases are only short-term solutions for the state’s budget crisis.  A long-term solution is needed.  The diversity of the student body and quality of education U of L offers are all suffering dearly.