Many states are taking steps to reduce the high cost of college textbooks, but Michigan isn't one of them.

Several state legislatures are considering bills that would impose new regulations on textbook publishers in an effort to control the cost of textbooks for students.

In Minnesota, state Rep. Frank Moe (D-Bemidji) is sponsoring a bill that would change the way publishers market textbooks.

It would require publishers to sell individual books usually marketed in bundles and require them to disclose when they plan to release new editions of textbooks. This allows students to keep from buying possibly unnecessary books within the bundles and allows professors to pursue older editions of textbooks that students could buy used.

The bill would also require colleges to publish textbook lists before students register for classes so they can shop around for the best prices.

Three other states - Connecticut, Washington and Virginia - have passed similar laws, and California is considering it.

So far, 18 states have eliminated sales tax on textbooks. Lawmakers in Florida, Indiana and Nebraska are considering doing the same.

While Michigan legislators have not introduced any similar legislation, a staffer for state Rep. Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit), who serves on the education committee, said he was interested in the Minnesota bill.

"This might be something that we are interested in proposing," said John Shaski, Scott's legislative assistant.

A 2005 federal study estimated that the average student at a four-year college spends about $900 a year on books and supplies.

"This is the hidden cost to higher education," Moe said in a written statement. "Reasonable profit makes sense. But the margin they are making on these textbooks is just absurd."

Textbook publishers, who earn $6.5 billion a year from college textbook sales according to the Association of American Publishers, said the proposed Minnesota bill violates their First Amendment rights that protect the freedom of the press to publish whatever and however they want.

"Frankly, a lot of the language in the bill is unconstitutional," said Stacey Skelly, the Association of American Publishers assistant director for higher education.

She said the bill would prevent publishers from freely publishing and packaging material in the way they see fit.

The Association of American Publishers maintains that its members are constantly exploring ways to keep textbooks affordable.

Thomson Learning, a textbook publishing company based in Stamford, Conn., has recently started selling textbook chapters individually.

"That's a good option for kids on a budget because the pain of buying textbooks is that it all comes at once," Skelly said.

Skelly said publishers price textbooks as reasonably as possible, but textbooks are sometimes costly because relatively few copies are sold compared to mass-market books.

Together, the University and the University Health System spent $420,000 lobbying government agencies last year. But none of this was devoted to lobbying for lower textbook prices, said Michael Waring, the University's executive director for federal relations.

Without assistance from the state, students and professors are trying their own methods to reducethe cost of textbooks.

Making textbooks affordable is a priority for the Michigan Student Assembly, said Eric Li, chair of MSA's Budget Priorities Committee.

"Our long-term goal is to reduce or eliminate sales tax on textbooks in Michigan," he said. "In light of the fact that our government is not that strong financially, however, that might not be a feasible solution at this time."

In January, MSA hosted a forum to discuss textbook prices. But thus far, no substantial progress has been made on lowering prices.

At the forum, Lester Monts, senior vice provost for academic affairs, acknowledged the financial strain high textbook costs place on students.

"The provost's office recognizes the problem and continues to work on it," Monts said. "We know the cost of education continues to rise, and if we can lessen other costs, then we will."

Thomas Venable, a statistics lecturer, said he is mindful of students' tight budgets. He said he uploaded all the required readings for one of his classes online so students wouldn't have to purchase books or course packs.

"That class was interesting in that we've not taught that before and there are no books called 'topics in statistics,' so the cost to each student was $0," Venable said.