The Undergraduate Student Government Academic Assembly voted last night to pass legislation allowing USG President Justin Zartman to speak on behalf of the assembly and its constituents concerning the Tuition Challenge Grant.

The executive order from the assembly was passed during an emergency meeting by a vote of 10 in support, two opposing and zero abstaining.

The assembly's vote responded to legislation passed last week by the USG Senate stating that all communication with state legislators must be approved by the senate.

"My problem is they didn't like the opinion of another member of USG, and they tried to censor him," said Lauren Applegate, assembly representative for the College of Communications.

Both USG senators and Zartman have previously lobbied in Harrisburg on opposite sides of the issue, but senate's legislation changed the official USG position to one of support for the program.

"It's not in the best interest," Zartman said about the TCG at the assembly meeting. "It's a short-term fix for a long-term problem."

The long-term problem was a lack of emphasis on state funding for higher education, Zartman said.

The TCG would benefit students and reflects the opinion of the vast majority of students, Town Sen. Jason Covener said.

"USG supports the Tuition Challenge Grant," he said. "We've determined it's good for the students."

The TCG was a state program that existed from 1989 to 1996 and offered additional state funding to schools that kept tuition increases under a certain percentage. State legislators are considering the program again.

Members of the assembly expressed concern about the effect the program would have on the quality of education and on Penn State's ability to compete with other universities.

"All it is, is a Band-Aid fix," said D. Josh Troxell, assembly senator for Division of Undergraduate Studies. Troxell said the short and long term effects must be considered in this situation.

The assembly also questioned whether the official USG position stated by the senate represented the interests and opinions of the students.

"This is an effort to represent student interests," Troxell said. "Senate has not been doing that this semester for the most part."

Assembly President Paul Ricciardi said he felt the assembly's legislative actions represented student interests.

"They did what they felt was necessary for University Park and Commonwealth Campus students," Ricciardi said.

Covener said he did not feel the assembly's legislation would make an impact.

"I don't really take it seriously," he said. "This was more of an attempt to get their political voice heard."

Covener said that the assembly has not been involved in the lobbying process and offered no substantive point of view for their legislative actions.

"They're really out of the loop on this one," he said.