Legislative Update
April 27, 2004
This week
Today, President Bruininks is making a community visit to St. Cloud. He is meeting with the presidents of area private and public higher institutions to discuss common higher education issues; speaking to the St. Cloud Area Chamber and St. Cloud Rotary Club; holding a roundtable discussion on research and discovery with local business leaders, entrepreneurs and others; visiting the Regional Extension Center; and attending an alumni reception.
On Wednesday, President Bruininks will travel to northern Dakota County to speak at a chamber and rotary luncheon; convene a roundtable discussion on the University’s healthy foods, healthy lives initiative; and meet with newly admitted freshmen and their parents at an ice cream social at Henry Sibley High School. Area legislators have been invited to both events.
The House Capital Ways and Means Committee meets Tuesday afternoon to consider the House capital bonding bill, which will be on the House floor for debate and a vote on Thursday. We are expecting the Senate to take up its bonding bill next week, which would put the bonding bill in conference committee the week of May 3.
This coming Sunday, May 2, at 6 p.m. Twin Cities Public Television will re-broadcast the public forum on stem cell research that was held two weeks ago on the Twin Cities campus. The forum is moderated by Senior Vice President Frank Cerra. Panel members include Catherine Verfaillie, director of the Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Center for Bioethics, and Steven Calvin, co-chair of the Program in Human Rights in Medicine.
Grassroots Activity
The upcoming weeks are pivotal to the University’s legislative request, with final votes expected on the bonding bill, and the convening of a conference committee. In preparation for this critical time, the Legislative Network is trying to reach the 10,000-member mark before conference committee members are chosen. There are 9,185 members currently. Please urge your friends to join the Legislative Network by going to: http://www1.umn.edu/groots/background/taf.php
As well, it is critical that colleges, departments and individual faculty and staff are active over the next few weeks. There will be three calling nights in May to encourage supporters to contact conference committee members about the University’s capital request. Sign up for a calling night by going to: http://www1.umn.edu/groots/phone.php
Stadium update
The House Taxes Committee held a hearing on the Gopher-only stadium late yesterday (Monday) afternoon. This was the first hearing this session on the University’s proposal. President Bruininks, Coach Glen Mason, Athletics Director Joel Maturi, MSA President Eric Dyer and VP Pfutzenreuter spoke on behalf of the University. Committee members responded very favorably to the University’s presentation, citing it as a valuable project with a responsible financing plan.
We expect a Gopher-only stadium bill to be introduced by Representative Stang on Thursday.
Week in review
Last week, the House Capital Investment Committee passed their bonding recommendations for all state funded projects (this is the proposal that is being considered by Ways and Means today).
Not only was the overall bonding bill larger than the Governor recommended, but the overall funding for higher education and that for the University both also exceeded the Governor’s recommendation. We expect an even larger bonding recommendation to pass the Senate.
In addition to the recommended projects in the higher education section of the bill, the University would receive $20 million for construction of a biotechnology research facility at the Mayo Clinic, as well as $570,000 for the Water Management Research Partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Under this proposal, the University would receive $111.05 million in state funding. This is approximately 18% of the state’s total bonding bill, comparable to what we have received in previous years.
Combined with University-issued bonds totaling $26.145 million, the U’s total bonding package would be $137,195,000.
Legislative Update (#13)
April 20, 2004
This week
After a long waiting period, there is finally some action on the University’s capital request. The House Capital Investment Committee meets Wednesday morning, and it is expected to forward a proposal that includes $90.48 million in state funding for University projects.
The Senate has indicated that it will take up its capital bonding bill in committee and on the floor after the House has passed their bill on the floor. In addition to Wednesday’s Capital Investment hearing, the House Ways & Means Committee must also pass the bill before it can be considered on the floor.
After floor votes in both bodies, the bonding bill will be in conference committee, likely either the week of April 26 or May 3. We will again step up our grassroots efforts with increased phone banking, messages to all faculty and staff from the president, and mobilizing the Legislative Network to contact their legislators.
Stadium Update
There is a hearing tentatively scheduled in the House Taxes Committee on Monday, April 26. At that hearing, the University will present the stadium feasibility study, describe the proposed financing plan and discuss the need for legislative action during this session. A Senate hearing on the stadium legislation is also possible next week, but the timing of both hearings is uncertain.
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Legislative Update
April 7, 2004
This week
This is a slow week at the Capitol for University issues, with the
legislature in recess for Passover on Tuesday and Easter on Friday.
Floor sessions for both the House and Senate were scheduled for
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Senate Finance Committee passed its omnibus state budget
reduction bill on Monday. This bill includes changes made in state
funding for the purpose of balancing the state's budget. There is no
funding reduction to the University in this bill.
The Senate Tax Committee also passed the tax bill on Monday. It is
expected that today, Wednesday, both bills will be heard on the
Senate floor and voted upon. This finalizes all the Senate budget
bills with the exception of the capital bonding bill.
The House, unlike the Senate, has multiple finance bills - one for
each area of state funding. This week, the House is hoping to pass on
the House floor the remaining finance bills.
So far, capital bonding bills have not advanced as far as other
finance bills at the legislature. Neither the House nor Senate
capital investment committees have passed a bonding bill; it is
expected that they will consider their respective bonding bills next
week.
We expect that activity will pick up next week; stay tuned!
Stadium update
The Senate has a hearing scheduled for next week on the Vikings and
Twins stadiums bill. It's possible the Senate may also hear a bill
for the Gopher stadium next week.
The University is continuing to explain to legislators the importance
of addressing the U's stadium needs this session. We believe that
enabling legislation will have a positive affect on private
fundraising by further motivating donors. In addition, delaying
action will increase the cost of the project.
As legislators complete other work and the bonding bills over the
next couple of weeks, stadium discussions will likely rise higher on
the agenda.
Week in review
The MPR Midday show last Thursday, which featured President
Bruininks, was a great opportunity to reinforce University priorities
and messages. The president received many phone calls, ranging from
the capital request to tuition to the Gopher stadium. Many callers
expressed their support of the University's capital request.
The House passed a combined early childhood, pre-K-12, and higher
education omnibus bill (supplemental appropriation) last week. As
expected, the bill does not reduce funding for the University.
The House Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs committee
passed, without recommendation, the Vikings and Twins stadiums
proposal. It next goes to the House Tax Committee.
A study was recently released that ranked Minnesota as having the 8th best high-tech economy. This study further shows how important the university of Minnesota is to the state’s economy.
Read the full story below.
Minnesota ranked 8th-best high-tech economy
Mike Meyers, Star Tribune National Economics Correspondent
March 31, 2004
A study to be released today concludes that Minnesota has one of the strongest "high-technology economies" in the nation, and the state is the only Midwestern state to make the top 10.
The latest reading by the Milken Institute pegs Minnesota as No. 8 in the nation in science and technology prowess. The last time the California-based think tank ranked the states, in 2002, Minnesota was 10th.
"Minnesota is the shining star of the Midwest," said Ross DeVol, director of regional economics at the Milken Institute in Santa Monica. The study "says that Minnesota is fairly well positioned for future growth in technology-based development."
Of the other Midwestern states, none came closer than Illinois at 21st. Wisconsin ranked 27th; North Dakota, 45th; South Dakota, 47th; and Iowa, 37th.
Although Minnesota has lost thousands of jobs in telecommunications, Internet startups and other "new economy" industries in the last few years, the Milken analysis found medical instrument and device employment, increasing investments in research and development and spending on public education propelled the state up in the national rankings.
"We have a very strong med-tech market that compensates for some deficiencies in our high-tech market," said Matt Noah, chief executive of NetSuds.com, a Chanhassen-based technology trade group with more than 8,000 members.
The rising fortunes of the Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and other medical enterprises either based here or with major operations in Minnesota have offset the declining fortunes of ADC Telecommunications, Net Perceptions and other tech firms, Noah said.
"We have a fairly strong med-tech venture capital market and a lot of promising medical start-up companies," he said.
Minnesota state economist Tom Stinson said the study points to the edge the state gains from such high-paying industries, an edge the state would do well to protect.
"Will we ever be No. 1? I doubt it," Stinson said. "But we will have an increasing presence in some important fields."
The study compares 75 measures of economic performance, from the concentration of jobs in computer-related enterprises, to investment in education and research.
"Minnesota improved its ranking in four out of the five components [of the Milken technology index] and recorded the largest gain in research and development" of any state, the report said.
Minnesota also ranked second only to Colorado in technology education and training.
"Minnesota does not dominate any of the 20 indicators [of educational attainment] but is in the top half of the country in all but one indicator," the report said.
The exception: Minnesota ranked only 27th in the share of its adult population holding doctorate degrees.
"The Minnesota public school system, K-12, is one of the best in the country," DeVol, the Milken researcher, said. "A greater proportion of [the state's] public school graduates are in a position to go to college."
Stinson underscored the point. "We want to have those well-trained workers in scientific and technical fields and the jobs to keep them in Minnesota," Stinson said.
In venture capital investments as a share of the total state economy, Minnesota ranked ninth in the latest study, up from 17th two years ago.
Other highlights:
• Minnesota scored high on two new components of the state-by-state comparisons. It ranked 15th in research and development spending on agricultural sciences and 18th on research spending in biomedical sciences.
• In garnering awards for "technology transfer" -- turning university research into the building blocks for real-world products -- Minnesota ranked 17th, up from 27th in 2002.
• Minnesota also saw major gains in small-business innovation awards from the U.S. Small Business Administration -- lifting the state to 22nd in the nation, up from 36th two years earlier.
"For Minnesota, the challenge is to emphasize the technology areas where we have particular strengths," Stinson said. "This seems to point them out."
Mike Meyers is at meyers@startribune.com.
Yesterday staff from the UMAA and students from the Public Affairs Student Association visited with their legislators during Thursdays at the Capitol program. Attendees went through a brief training on how to lobby legislators and went over the University’s main messages before they met with legislators.
“I was apprehensive about participating, feeling a bit intimidated by the process, but you made it very easy. The materials were clear and concise and helpful to framing a personalized message. After my first visit I felt like a pro! I came away from the capitol with a new-found capability. I would encourage others to do it,” said Diane Fisher, a UMAA staff member.
If you are interested in attending a Thursday at the Capitol you can visit this page: http://www1.umn.edu/groots/tatc.php
In the last e-mail I encouraged everyone to post comments in support of the University on the MPR Soapbox. MPR has been having some technical problems over the last few days and many of you have been unable to get to the website. It is now working and you can post a comment in support of the University or to comment on the President visit on MPR here: http://forum.mpr.org/WebX?comment@@
On Thursday President Bruininks talked with Minnesota Public Radio’s Midday host Mike Edgerly about the University’s Legislative request, the campus stadium, tuition, and other University issues.
Thank you to all those that called in and who tried to call in. Amy P. the director of the University’s News Service, sent me the following e-mail:
Mike--
We had some great callers, I think many were network members. Many excellent t-up questions for the president. THANKS.
Amy
If you missed the program you can still listen to it online at: http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/programs/midday/listings/md20040329.shtml#4
You will have to download RealPlayer to listen to the program. If you don’t have the RealPlayer program you can get information on how to download it here: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/www/live/listen.html