Texas legislators have always been good at accidentally airing each other's dirty laundry, blowing hot air and not passing clean air acts. But listening to students "air their concerns" has never been their forte.
Maybe that's why Texas Rep. Diana Dávila, D-Houston, created one of the fluffiest pieces of legislation ever (so fluffy, it could float on air) in the name of university students.
House Bill 3125, which would allow students to voice their concerns about food service during contract renewals, is so fluffy it actually passed unanimously through the House Committee on Higher Education.
Unfortunately, neither Dávila nor the committee seem to understand how universities or major food service corporations operate. Yes, they may ask students to put their complaints in some rhombus-shaped "suggestion box," but the question is, do they listen?
Legislators should talk to vegetarian students whose complaints about food variety usually fall on deaf ears. Before writing such an insubstantial piece of legislation as HB 3125, Dávila should have done her homework.
Food contractors already receive complaints when students ask almost every day, "Where's the hot food?" "What's that?" or "Mashed potatoes and corn again?" They don't listen then, and they probably never will.
The best way for legislators to make sure students' voices are heard is reserve all the seats on the food service selection committee for students. But then again, that would make the voter/student have more control over his or her fate. Students would actually know what ingredients actually go into "Sunday Surprise."