If signed by governor, U would receive additional $149 million
May 22, 2007
Rick Moore
On the final day of the 2007 session Monday, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a higher education spending bill that would provide an increase in funding of about $149 million for the University of Minnesota for the 2008-09 biennium.
The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both bodies--by a vote of 65-0 in the Senate and 127-7 in the House. It's now up to Gov. Tim Pawlenty to either sign the bill or veto all or parts of it.
"For the last several years, the University has been focused on reforms to improve the quality of education and the impact of our research and public responsibilities on Minnesota's economy and quality of life," President Bob Bruininks said in a statement Monday afternoon. "The funding bill passed today will ensure we can continue on that path to become one of the best public research universities in the world."
The University had requested $182.3 million in new state funding for the biennium. The increase approved Monday by the legislature represents about 82 percent of the U's request. The additional state support will be used to enhance the University's core mission and competitive position, and invest in measures that help "create Minnesota's future."
May 21, 2007
The following is a statement from University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks in response to passage of a higher education funding bill by both the House and Senate today:
"For the last several years, the university has been focused on reforms to improve the quality of education and the impact of our research and public responsibilities on Minnesota's economy and quality of life. The funding bill passed today will ensure we can continue on that path to become one of the best public research universities in the world.
"Although the university did not get everything out of this legislative session that we sought, we are pleased with this outcome. Through this bill, the Legislature recognizes the central importance of strong state support for higher education and a need to control the rate of tuition increases. I applaud legislative leadership and legislators from both parties for this strong bipartisan vote for addressing the future of higher education in Minnesota."
Beef up strategic measures in next higher ed bill.
May 12, 2007
StarTribune
Before vetoing a bill to fund state colleges, universities and student aid in the coming two years, Gov. Tim Pawlenty described the measure as "underwhelming, uninspiring and devoid of reforms."
It's a critique legislators should take to heart as they go back to the drawing board. The vetoed higher-ed bill would have minimally maintained the status quo in higher education, and kept tuition increases in the next two years in a tolerable single-digit range.
But the bill did too little to prepare Minnesota for the day that's soon coming, when a shortage of well-educated workers will be the No. 1 complaint about the state's business climate and a serious drag on state prosperity. A targeted strategy is needed to increase the share of Minnesota young adults who enroll in college -- and, once there, graduate from college.
The obvious target population for such a strategy are young people from low-income families. While the number of disadvantaged Minnesota families has been growing rapidly in this decade, the share of 18- to 24-year-olds from those households who go to college has been falling. Those two trends portend trouble for Minnesota, and cry out for state efforts to reverse them.
May 9, 2007
Minnesota Public Radio
Art Hughes
The Minnesota House and Senate approved a $3.2 billion higher education funding bill that now goes on to face Gov. Pawlenty's veto. DFL supporters of the bill contend it sticks to basics and makes up for past underfunding of the state's colleges and universities. Pawlenty calls it uninspiring and devoid of any reform, with a ballooning pricetag in outlying years.
The backers of the higher education plan offer it as a bare-bones package that maximizes meager funding for the sake of students. Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, half-heartedly served the bill on the Senate floor.
"Over three bienniums, we are still 6 percent below what would we would have been if we had just been doing an inflationary increase," Pappas said. "So this is not a generous budget."
The bill passed the Senate 44-21. Later in the day, it went on to the House floor where Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, touted the bill's focus on lowering tuition. He also blasted Republicans for previous funding cuts to cover a budget deficit.
"When you guys were in charge you were cheap -- unbelievably cheap," Rukavina told House GOP members. "You cut the MnSCU and the university system by $380 million in 2003. You decimated the system. You put 70 percent increases over five years on kids and students."
The bill passed the House 85-46.
May 7, 2007
Minnesota Public Radio
Art Hughes
Members of a House and Senate conference committee are expected to agree on a higher education spending bill that adds $325 million to current spending on colleges and universities. Legislators are still working on the details of the $2.75 billion spending plan, but some major parts of the bill have been approved. The bill does not contain a provision to allow children of illegal residents to pay in-state tuition, a provision that Gov. Pawlenty said would lead him to veto the bill.
St. Paul, Minn. — The higher education bill falls well short of the money the University of Minnesota and the State Colleges and Universities System wanted.
In the bill, the U of M is awarded an additional $147 millions over the next two years. The U of M would get another $27 million in one-time money. Much of that goes to fund a partnership with the Mayo Clinic. MnSCU secures $142 million for the biennium along with $8 million in one-time funds.
The bill provides incentives to keep tuition hikes at the University of Minnesota to less than 3 percent a year. Legislators also urged MnSCU officials to hold tuition increases down. MnSCU Trustees have promised to keep any rise in tuition below a four percent average. If they stick to it, that would be the lowest increase in 10 years.
Senate Higher Education Budget Division Committee Chair Sandy Pappas says the spending plan focuses more on what the college systems are already doing, rather than new projects.
"The next priority needs to be holding down tuition," she said. "Although they had a lot of new and exciting initiatives... holding down tuition increases is a higher priority and they should fund those other things through reallocation or increased productivity."
Pappas says the higher education budget, which does not rely on tax increases, underfunds higher education.
One thing absent from the bill is a provision to allow children of illegal immigrants living in Minnesota to pay in-state tuition when they go on beyond high school. The House and Senate both passed the so-called DREAM Act language. Pappas says the DFL-controlled committees bowed to the governor's opposition.
Full Story
May 01, 2007
StarTribune
For new industry's sake, let go of legislative control.
Minnesota has the ingredients to be a biomedical science leader -- world-class medicine, innovative agriculture and a major research university. What's needed is a way to bring those ingredients together ASAP for some creative synergy.
That's what Frank Cerra aims to accomplish as senior vice president of the University of Minnesota's Academic Health Center. He has a solid plan: Create a biosciences zone on the Twin Cities campus, build state-of-the art facilities, hire 200 top faculty and set out to win upwards of $100 million a year in grants for research that cures disease -- and creates jobs.
It's ambitious but achievable -- provided Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature get behind it. Authorizing one building every few years, as the political tides permit, won't turn the heads of the high-caliber faculty Cerra is courting. An upfront commitment for five new buildings will.
Cerra explains: "Recruiting every one of these faculty is a three- or four-year effort. We compete with Harvard, [Johns] Hopkins, Michigan, the California schools. It's a seller's market. These faculty want the best facilities to do their work in. That's very important to them. What do I show them?"
Full Story
May 1, 2007
Minnesota Public Radio
Brian Bakst, Associated Press
St. Paul, Minn. — (AP) - Rather than spare projects he liked, Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed an entire state construction funding bill Tuesday and told legislators they'll have to scale it back to must-do items if they want his backing.
The $334 million bill passed the House and Senate the day before. It authorized borrowing or cash payments for flood mitigation in Browns Valley, arena expansions in Duluth and St. Cloud, seed money for new transit lines and general repair of prison and college buildings.
"This is unfortunate because it includes a number of good and worthy projects, including things I strongly support," Pawlenty said.
He attacked it as too large and said it came to him too soon in the process. Pawlenty said he asked leaders to withhold the public works bill until after a broader budget agreement was struck.
Full Story
The rising price of books needed for class may be slowed by disclosure rules agreed to by legislative negotiators.
April 30, 2007
StarTribune
Norman Draper
House and Senate negotiators Monday took another step toward controlling the high costs of college textbooks, agreeing to require publishers to disclose textbook costs, formats, return policies, and how much new editions differ from older ones.
The disclosures are meant to give students and faculty more textbook choices, and to get a handle on their classroom books and materials expenses, which can run students up to $1,000 a year. It's not uncommon to find students at college bookstores shelling out well over $100 for individual texts.
Higher education conference committee members also agreed that public colleges and universities in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system must meet annually with students, teachers and administrators to figure out how to reduce the costs of college course materials. Private colleges and the University of Minnesota would be asked to adopt the disclosure measures.
Full Story
They put up all the votes needed to pass the $334 million bill for college campuses and transit, but not enough to override an expected governor's veto.
April 30, 2007
StarTribune
Conrad Defiebre
DFLers flexed their legislative muscle Monday by sending a $334 million public-works bill for college campuses, mass transit, bridges and more to Gov. Tim Pawlenty with practically no help from minority Republicans.
The DFL majorities in the House and Senate alone posted the 60 percent votes needed to approve $168 million in state borrowing for half the measure, but they fell short of the two-thirds required to override expected vetoes from the Republican governor.
"This bill is chock full of more pork than Famous Dave's on the Fourth of July," said House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall. "The only question is whether the governor will veto the whole thing or make so many line-item vetoes that you won't recognize it anymore."
The first major spending bill of the 2007 session passed the House on three straight party-line votes of 84 to 49. In the Senate, Republicans Dick Day of Owatonna and Paul Koering of Fort Ripley joined DFLers on a vote of 45-18.
Now begins a three-day period in which the governor has to decide whether and how to exercise his veto pen. His spokesman, Brian McClung, said Monday that Pawlenty will at least "significantly trim" the measure.