Zabala chosen for ASUI student lobbyist position
Recently appointed ASUI lobbyist Anne Zabala will be a fresh face in Boise next year, where she will represent the interests of University of Idaho students in the 2015 legislative session.
Zabala, a senior studying English and interdisciplinary studies in organizational science, said she is excited to get down to Boise in January.
“As a proud University of Idaho student, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to represent ASUI at the capital this upcoming legislative session,” she said. excited to see what Zabala can accomplish in the upcoming legislative session.
“She had a great interview, great ideas and she did her research,” Fisher said. “We were looking for a good communicator who would be able to articulate the interests of students and balance representing student interests, working with legislators and represent university interests.”
Zabala was first chosen as the ASUI lobbyist mid-October, but Fisher had to revaluate the decision after he found out Zabala is not currently enrolled at UI.
“We worked on this for awhile,” Fisher said. “There were some administrative difficulties, because if you are a student representative there is the expectation that you are a student, which I absolutely and whole-heartedly understand.”
According to Fisher, Zabala was initially enrolled for the fall semester, but got a job working for the Idaho Democratic Party to be a field coordinator for the Moscow-Lewiston area. She withdrew from her classes at the beginning of the semester and currently works in Moscow and the surrounding area doing campaign work. At Wednesday’s ASUI Senate meeting, Fisher said the issue was resolved.
“We plan to not put her on payroll or technically on staff until January 14th, which is the first day of second semester, once she has paid her tuition and fees and her various ASUI activity fees,” he said.
Fisher confirmed Zabala would begin work after officially enrolling for spring semester.
According to the ASUI Rules and Regulations, the lobbyist position pays $800 every two weeks in addition to a $1200 living stipend.
Although it doesn’t happen often, Fisher said the university agenda and the student agenda sometimes differ, and being able to distinguish the difference is an important skill for the student lobbyist. Fisher said Zabala’s role is to advocate on behalf of UI students to state legislators.
Fisher said Joe Stegner, special assistant to the UI president, is the official university lobbying presence in Boise and will connect with Zabala on some issues. Though not Zabala’s boss, Stegner shares his office space with the student lobbyist and works together to represent UI to the Idaho Legislature.
ASUI Director of Policy Tanner Beymer was also on the panel that selected Zabala and said he thinks she’s a good fit for the position.
“The lobbyist position requires someone who is tenacious and personable, two traits that seem like polar opposites, but really work hand in hand,” Beymer said. “Anne exhibits both of these traits, and we are proud to have her on the ASUI team.”
The lobbyist position will defend a list of lobbying topics to be finalized by Fisher and Beymer in the coming weeks. Beymer said potential items for the agenda include voicing further opposition to the recent allowance of firearms on Idaho college campuses and increasing funding for sexual harassment and assault prevention efforts.
Whatever is on the agenda, Zabala said her main objective is representing UI’s student body.
“The students of our university, and higher education as a whole, must be a top priority here in Idaho and we need a voice in making the decisions that affect it,” Zabala said. “Working with other students from around the state, I will be that advocate.”
Cara Pantone can be reached at [email protected]