By Brian Hancock

Kentucky students may soon get a bigger voice in their state’s education reform.

House Bill 422, which would officially recognize the Board of Student Body Presidents, was unanimously approved by the House Education Committee last week.

It will next move to the House for consideration.

“House Bill 422 would provide official status recognition in the Kentucky Revised Statutes,” said Rep. Ryan Quarles, R-Georgetown, who sponsored the bill.

The BSBP is comprised of student representatives from public and private universities around Kentucky. It has been in existence since 1997, but has never been officially recognized. The students typically organize rallies around topics such as funding for higher education, decreasing tuition rates and addressing new legislature on education.

“This bill gives (the board) the clout it deserves,” Quarles said.

A Nov. 22 Kernel article profiled Quarles after he became the first-ever Republican to win office in the history of Scott County, beating seven-term incumbent Charlie Hoffman with 51 percent of the popular vote. Quarles, 27, finished UK law school last year.

“I hope to develop a niche in education reform in Kentucky,” he said at the time.

After less than two months in office, Quarles has become the first Republican freshman in Kentucky to pass a bill through a committee.

He said he is excited about its potential implications in Kentucky.

“This bill will create a collective board which represents the collective voice of all Kentucky college students,” he said.

The board, which currently meets about once a month, will now be comprised of the student president from each of Kentucky’s eight public universities, a student representative from the Board of Regents for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities.

Quarles said the goal is to develop greater communication between Kentucky’s students and their government regarding postsecondary education issues.

He believes the bill would be a big step for student representation in Frankfort.

“I’ve always been a strong advocate for students in Kentucky,” he said. “Students need to be diligent about representing themselves in Frankfort. There’s a need for stronger student advocacy in our capital.”

Students have responded positively to the bill’s approval.

“I think (the bill) is a great idea,” said marketing sophomore Dave Steele. “It’s nice to know there’s someone in Frankfort who keeps Kentucky’s students in mind.”