Justin R. Lessman

In a move to continue the fight against a third penny sales tax on prepared food, the South Dakota Student Federation unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday that would throw support behind any state anti-Third “B” legislation.

The resolution, proposed by SA Vice President Ben Solomon read, “That the Student Federation express support for legislation that would exempt student meal plans from any prepared food tax.”

The Student Federation is made up of SA government representatives from each of the six state universities.

SA Administrative Assistant Erik Erickson said the tax on prepared food does not bother many who choose to go out to eat. The problem is when the tax is applied to student meal plans which qualify as prepared food.

“It’s about the meal plans,” he said. “Students that live in the residence halls are required to buy that food and are forced to pay that tax.”

Erickson said the SA has been in contact with Sen. Arnie Brown, R-Brookings, to see if legislation could be created and put on the state agenda that would exempt student meal plans from a prepared food tax.

In other business, the federation members discussed the plus/minus system of grading.

The SDSU SA decided not to support a change to the plus/minus grading system.

“We found that it gives real incentive to students to push for the whole grade advancement,” Solomon said.

Matthew Goeden, SA president at the School of Mines and Technology, said he questioned the equality of a grading system without the plus/minus factor.

“I just don’t see the equality in it. How is it fair that a guy with a 91 percent gets the same grade as another guy with a 96 percent?” he said.

Federation members will examine other university systems before making a decision.