The Illinois Student Senate plans to send representatives to two lobbying events this semester, Big Ten on the Hill and Lobby Day, both held in April. 

Vice President-External Matt Hill attended Lobby Day in Springfield as a freshman and encouraged students to participate in the experience at the student senate’s Wednesday meeting.

Student Body President Mitch Dickey said ISS plans on lobbying for medical amnesty, among other issues, and hopes to work with Illinois State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-103. Historically, there have been between 50 and 80 University students sent down in buses to talk with representatives in Springfield.

“We team up with people, mainly students, and send people to Springfield to advocate for the University and lobby for funding from the state to the University,” said Hill. “When I went my freshman year it was really cool; I met with my state representative from home, Carol Sente, and talked about how many of her constituents were University of Illinois students and how investing in Illinois was really worthwhile.”

The Big Ten on the Hill event will be held in Washington, D.C. from April 12 to 14. A small group of students will be sent to the event along with others in the Big Ten Conference to lobby for issues that concern the 14 universities. The conference agreed on several topics to lobby for at the Association of Big Ten Students Winter Conference last weekend, among them are the support of the Pell Grant program and repealing the Student Unit Record Ban.

Charlotte can be reached [email protected].