Legislative Update (#16)
May 12, 2004
This Week
The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Monday, May 17. It was reported yesterday that legislative leaders have reached an agreement on how to resolve their remaining work, including balancing the budget deficit, passing a bonding bill, stadiums, and many other issues. This will either be the week where everything is pulled together and enacted in a flurry or the session will end with no significant accomplishment.
At this time, conference committee members have not been named to a bonding committee so we are urging University advocates to contact House and Senate leadership. Go to http://www.umn.edu/urelate/govrel for contact information and talking points. And you can expect an all-TC campus voicemail from President Bruininks this week encouraging faculty, staff and students to contact their legislators to support the bonding request one more time.
Week in Review
Last Thursday, the full Senate considered the bonding bill. The Senate bill contains over $115 million in state funding for U of M capital improvement projects. The Senate was unable to muster the required 60% majority vote needed--it failed by three votes. It is unclear what the future holds for the bonding bill; it is likely to be a component of an end-of-session agreement.
Last Wednesday, the Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee held a hearing on Vikings, Twins and Gopher stadium projects. SF 2825, authored by Senator Geoff Michel, would provide state funding for the University of Minnesota for an on-campus football stadium, after the U of M has raised a significant portion of the funds privately. On a unanimous vote, the bill was sent to the Senate Finance committee, where it awaits further action. However, the Senate is not expected to take any further action on stadium legislation until it passes the House.
In the House, the Ways and Means Committee defeated a bill authorizing stadiums for the Vikings, Twins, and Gophers. The legislation failed on a 13-13 vote, and the bill remains in this committee for any future action – also perhaps part of an end-of-session deal.