MnSCU and U Budget Hearings
The state legislature is moving from overviews and informational hearings to committee hearings that pertain to specific legislation and budget issues. Both MnSCU and the University of Minnesota had budget hearings this past week. President Bruininks presented the University’s biennial budget request and answered questions to the House Higher Education Finance Committee. Questions for the President ranged from why the University of Minnesota conducts the most research among Minnesota’s public higher education institutions to the cost of textbooks.
President Bruininks also met privately with a number of legislators to argue for the biennial request.
The House Biosciences and Emerging Technology committee heard from CFANS dean Allen Levine and Drs. Mindy Kurzer and Ted Labuza of the Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition on bio-foods research. The House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division heard from Dr. Jim Linn, Dept. of Animal Science, on dairy research being done at the University.
The House Bioscience and Emerging Technology Committee held a hearing on a bill that would establish a state policy to allow all types of stem cell research and would permit the use of state funds to pay for these research activities. HF 34, authored by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, will now move to the Higher Education and Workforce Development Policy and Finance Division of the House. The Senate companion, SF 100 (Cohen) has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
