States fight back against textbook prices

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 29 (UPI) -- A growing number of U.S. states are taking steps to curb the fast-rising prices of college textbooks.

Catching up to Connecticut and Virginia, laws passed in Arkansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington target publishers and faculty.

Some states force the publishers and faculty to provide textbook options without supplemental materials, such as computer CDs and workbooks, automatically bundled in, Stateline.org reported Wednesday. However, publishers say backlash against bundling fails to take into account the effectiveness of the supplemental materials.

"Is it better to give (students) the lowest-cost book and have them flunk out, or give them the book and the materials that merits their needs and have them get a return on their investment?" Hildebrand said. Critics’ arguments "don’t address quality, they don’t address efficiency, they don’t address pass rates, retention rates, graduation rates," he said.

Meanwhile, other states are looking into alternative methods of bringing down textbook prices, including sales tax exemptions and deductions.

A recently passed Maryland law sets up a study to determine the factors that go into the rising prices of textbooks.