Student Senate Passes Bill for Paul Bunyan Transit

New Insurance Proposal Yet to be determined
by Brandon Miles

On April 20, 2011 the Bemidji Student Senate sat at the round table and prepared to discuss important issues pertaining to BSU. Among the topics brought up, the Paul Bunyan transit system and the insurance policy were the focal points of the meeting. With the cameras rolling and an audience in attendance, VP Bill Maki as well as others proposed a final price of 24,000 dollars, which was dropped down from 38,000, to cover transportation costs over the course of a year for the public transit system.
Students who use the transit system regularly will be required to pay 25 dollars a semester for unlimited rides. This is a small price to pay given the costs of gasoline.


Student Senate Finalizing The PBT Contract
Photo by Brandon Miles

“I think the transit system is a really good deal because I often find myself spending more money on gas than anything else and all the places I go are easily accessible through public transportation,” said student Senator Joe Maubry. “With a flat fee at the beginning of the year, I feel like students will be able to cut back on their budgets as well as help the environment by cutting back on personal car usage.”
Many students have experienced problems about knowing where to meet the transit and this prevents them from taking advantage of this convenient opportunity. The Paul Bunyan Transit takes a collegiate route that students can access with a current student ID. The problem is that many of the posters guiding students to the pickup points are out of date and do not accurately display the correct route of the transit bus. “Because of the confusion as to wear the transit is going to be, we decided to make new and updated signs so people can easily navigate the campus and the transit route.”  Said Maubry
In a world “going green” this could be extremely beneficial for the campus and the community’s well-being. With easily accessible public transportation and a will to save money, the idea of the public transportation is leading BSU students in a new way. “I have always used Paul Bunyan Transit,” said student affairs co-chair Nick Nelson, “The bus is always pretty empty and I never understood why, but if student pay for it they will feel more of an obligation to ride it and ultimately save money as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the community.”
Along with the transit issue, another equally important topic addressed is the Mandatory Student Insurance Policy. With so many students on campus, accidents are bound to happen and it is important that students have the proper coverage to take care of themselves if anything were to happen. Barbra Erickson and Dale Burns from Federated Insurance proposed the policy. The policy is affordable for students and offers a diverse set of options that is tailored to their needs. The annual rate for the policy is $1100, depending on students plan.

Federated Insurance Rep Dale Burns
Photo by Brandon Miles

The benefits include dental, prescription ($50 co-pay), and surgery. Students who acquire the insurance plan will have $100,000 coverage, with a co-pay of $1100. Student Senate member Cara Mielke said, “We want students to walk around and feel safe, not that we’re saying campus isn’t safe, we just understand that sometimes accidents happen and when they do, it is important that students  are taken care of.”
According to Erickson’s student survey, “12.4 percent of students do not have any medical insurance.” Many of these students get by on a day to day basis without protection and if an accident happened to occur, these students would not have the proper funds to take care of their medical bills.
 The policy is under review and if passed, it will require all students from BSU to be covered by Federated Insurance. If passed, this bill will certainly help in protecting students but with all bills and laws, debate arises. “What if some students can’t afford health insurance or are from another country and not protected under a known company,” said sophomore Senator Kari Cooper. “I think it’s a little unfair because this proposal, if passed, could make it very complicated for some people to better their education just because they don’t have health insurance.”
Whether or not the proposal is passed, Bemidji is on track for an insured future. Student Senate is making strides for the progress of our student body by addressing both their protection and our ecological footprint.