For Immediate Release:
4/26/07

Contact:
Ellynne Bannon, Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project Director, 202-468-7635, ebannon@studentpirgs.org

Abe Scarr, Student PIRGs’ Field Organizer, 312-550-3901, abe@trainings.org

Students ask candidates to outline their plans to address global warming, college affordability

Today, South Carolina students were hot on the trail of both Democratic and Republican candidates to ask all of the candidates: “What’s Your Plan?” on key issues such as global warming and college affordability.

"Reaching out to young voters is extremely significant being that they are our future leaders. I, along with a number of other members of the South Carolina State Student Association have done our part to get the younger population involved in the electoral process, and now it's time for government officials to do theirs' by reaching out to the younger community and tackling issues that are pertinent to them such as making college more affordable.," said Alesha Brown, University of South Carolina Student Body Treasurer.

Students attended events in Greenville, Columbia, and Orangeburg, speaking in particular with Senator McCain about global warming.

“I am seeing the African American community in Rock Hill become increasingly concerned about global warming, and seeing it as an important moral issue - and it’s socially conscientious people like me that are driving this concern.  We hosted a showing of An Inconvenient Truth at my church just two days ago and had one of our largest turnouts ever for such an event.  I’ll be watching the debates with this in mind, and paying attentions to what the candidates have to say about Global Warming,” said Willie Lyles III, recent graduate of Winthrop University and Executive Director of the Freedom Center in Rock Hill.

Last weekend, students were hot on the campaign trail of the Presidential candidates from IA to SC, asking candidates to detail their plans on global warming.  Students spoke directly to several candidates, including Rudy Giuliani, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback, Chris Dodd, Mike Huckabee, John Cox, and Joe Biden.  See photo gallery.

What’s Your Plan? is a new national campaign to convince Presidential candidates to pay attention to young people and to address key youth issues.

Youth voting power has undergone a significant transformation over the past two election cycles.  In 2004, young voter turnout was up 11% over 2000 levels - a rate three times higher than the general population.  In 2006, young voter turnout increased by 2 million votes while turnout among all ages only moderately increased.    Background on the Millennial Generation.

The Student PIRGs predict that youth voter turnout will continue to increase in 2008.

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The Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) are, non-partisan, student directed, state-based organizations that work to solve public interest problems related to the environment, consumer protection, and government reform. www.studentpirgs.org

What’s Your Plan? is a project of the Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project and allied youth organizations.  The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project is the nation’s largest youth voter registration and mobilization campaign.  The goal of the project is to highlight the issues that are important to young people and to persuade candidates to target youth and use these issues as they campaign.  Since 2003, the project registered more than 600,000 young voters and made more than 650,000 personalized Get Out the Vote contacts leading up to Election Day to turn out young voters.  www.whats-your-plan.org