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In its editorial Monday, the Diamondback got it right saying that while tax-free textbooks would give students a small discount on books there are even better solutions to the systemic problem of textbook affordability.

The California State Senate, for instance, is considering a bill that, according to the author of the bill, California State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, would “produce 50 high quality, affordable, digital open-source textbooks and related materials for use at the UC, CSU, and Community Colleges.”

Steinberg also authored a bill that would create the California Digital Open Source Library “to serve as a statewide repository for high quality, digital open source textbooks and related materials.”

This California legislation presents clear options that we believe must be considered in Maryland in addition to legislation that would give students a 6 percent discount on textbooks at the expense of the state.

MaryPIRG calls upon legislators to address this issue right by exploring additional options, just as California did.

Sources: http://sd06.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd06.senate.ca.gov/files/Bill%20TWO_CA%2...

http://sd06.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd06.senate.ca.gov/files/Bill%20ONE_50%2...