UTEP student union renovation bill advances in Texas legislature
ARC El Paso
[{'start': '7.040', 'end': '11.920', 'text': 'Today, a bill passed through the House'}, {'start': '9.440', 'end': '14.480', 'text': 'to renovate the UTEP Student Union'}, {'start': '11.920', 'end': '16.640', 'text': 'building. If the bill passes through the'}, {'start': '14.480', 'end': '19.600', 'text': 'Senate and gets signed by the governor,'}, {'start': '16.640', 'end': '22.240', 'text': 'the East Wing will get renovated, but'}, {'start': '19.600', 'end': '26.039', 'text': 'the West Wing will get completely torn'}, {'start': '22.240', 'end': '26.039', 'text': 'down and rebuilt.'}, {'start': '29.199', 'end': '33.360', 'text': 'It would be a good new fresh look for'}, {'start': '31.359', 'end': '34.800', 'text': "the campus. I think it's a great"}, {'start': '33.360', 'end': '36.800', 'text': "expansion. I just don't think it's"}, {'start': '34.800', 'end': '37.840', 'text': 'necessary for future generations. I'}, {'start': '36.800', 'end': '39.840', 'text': "would say that it's needed and"}, {'start': '37.840', 'end': '41.760', 'text': 'eventually that change would need to get'}, {'start': '39.840', 'end': '43.360', 'text': 'done. I mean, there are other buildings'}, {'start': '41.760', 'end': '45.360', 'text': 'that might need that more than Union.'}, {'start': '43.360', 'end': '47.719', 'text': 'According to UTP, part of the Union'}, {'start': '45.360', 'end': '50.239', 'text': 'building has been around since'}, {'start': '47.719', 'end': '52.239', 'text': '1949. The UT Student Government'}, {'start': '50.239', 'end': '54.239', 'text': 'Association wanted to find out if'}, {'start': '52.239', 'end': '55.600', 'text': 'students wanted a renovation. We had a'}, {'start': '54.239', 'end': '56.879', 'text': 'weekl long elections where students were'}, {'start': '55.600', 'end': '58.640', 'text': 'able to go ahead and cast their votes in'}, {'start': '56.879', 'end': '61.559', 'text': 'favor or against and it it passed and'}, {'start': '58.640', 'end': '64.159', 'text': 'here we are today. Today, House Bill'}, {'start': '61.559', 'end': '66.320', 'text': '2853 passed through the House. The bill'}, {'start': '64.159', 'end': '68.720', 'text': 'would allow UTB to renovate the union'}, {'start': '66.320', 'end': '70.080', 'text': 'building, but renovations can be pricey'}, {'start': '68.720', 'end': '73.520', 'text': 'and the money has to come from'}, {'start': '70.080', 'end': '75.119', 'text': "somewhere. The UT system can't use money"}, {'start': '73.520', 'end': '76.640', 'text': 'um aside from student fees for the'}, {'start': '75.119', 'end': '79.040', 'text': 'construction of a new student union.'}, {'start': '76.640', 'end': '82.479', 'text': 'Currently, students have a union fee of'}, {'start': '79.040', 'end': '84.159', 'text': '$30 a year. If House Bill 2853 passes'}, {'start': '82.479', 'end': '86.880', 'text': 'through the Senate and gets signed by'}, {'start': '84.159', 'end': '89.040', 'text': 'the governor, the union fee paid by UT'}, {'start': '86.880', 'end': '91.280', 'text': 'students would increase incrementally'}, {'start': '89.040', 'end': '95.360', 'text': 'over the next three years, students will'}, {'start': '91.280', 'end': '96.960', 'text': 'pay $150 by the year 2027 to 2028. After'}, {'start': '95.360', 'end': '98.479', 'text': 'some research, we realized if students'}, {'start': '96.960', 'end': '100.000', 'text': "are under financial aid, they're fully"}, {'start': '98.479', 'end': '101.360', 'text': 'covered. The majority of our students'}, {'start': '100.000', 'end': '103.360', 'text': 'here on UT are under the paid or'}, {'start': '101.360', 'end': '104.960', 'text': "promise. So, that's uh a financial aid"}, {'start': '103.360', 'end': '106.479', 'text': 'package, and it just made sense. the'}, {'start': '104.960', 'end': '109.040', 'text': 'student fee increase should be enough to'}, {'start': '106.479', 'end': '110.560', 'text': 'to cover uh the demolition of the old'}, {'start': '109.040', 'end': '112.799', 'text': 'facility and the construction of the new'}, {'start': '110.560', 'end': '115.119', 'text': 'one. While financial aid would cover the'}, {'start': '112.799', 'end': '116.960', 'text': 'increase in student fees, it still had'}, {'start': '115.119', 'end': '118.399', 'text': 'some mixed reactions among students I'}, {'start': '116.960', 'end': '120.759', 'text': 'spoke with. If it makes the campus'}, {'start': '118.399', 'end': '123.360', 'text': 'better, then sure, why not? I think the'}, {'start': '120.759', 'end': '124.719', 'text': 'increase to create those changes is'}, {'start': '123.360', 'end': '126.000', 'text': 'dumb. Anything that comes with like'}, {'start': '124.719', 'end': '127.840', 'text': 'increasing your quality of life is going'}, {'start': '126.000', 'end': '131.479', 'text': "to have a cost to it. So, it's it's a"}, {'start': '127.840', 'end': '131.479', 'text': 'good cost, I feel.'}, {'start': '132.740', 'end': '136.560', 'text': '[Music]'}, {'start': '134.640', 'end': '139.200', 'text': 'And that was Christian Andrad reporting.'}, {'start': '136.560', 'end': '141.440', 'text': 'Now, House Bill 2853 made it through the'}, {'start': '139.200', 'end': '143.280', 'text': 'House today, but it still got it still'}, {'start': '141.440', 'end': '145.200', 'text': 'has to clear through the Senate before'}, {'start': '143.280', 'end': '146.959', 'text': 'anything can move forward. Now, if it'}, {'start': '145.200', 'end': '151.959', 'text': 'does get the green light, Loya says'}, {'start': '146.959', 'end': '151.959', 'text': 'planning could kick off by fall 2026.'}]