Legislative Notes for the week of April 3 - April 7, 2006

House Bonding Bill on the Move

The House Capital Investment Committee approved a $999 million bonding bill this week ($949 million in general obligation bonds, $999 million with user-financed bonds included). Of the $280.4 million system request, the House included $187.7 million for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The bill also includes $12 million for the Southwest Minnesota State University Regional Event Center. You may view the full details of the House bonding bill at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/fiscal/files/bond06.pdf. The governor recommended $142.6 million and the Senate bill includes $223.2 million for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. You may view the comparisons at http://www.mnscu.edu/media/publications/pdf/
systembondingside-by-side2006.pdf. The bill is expected to be heard in House Ways and Means on Monday and the full House is expected to hear the bill on the floor before the Legislature leaves for the Easter/Passover break on Wednesday.

Higher Education Bill Moving Forward

The Senate passed the Higher Education omnibus bill this week. Included in the bill for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is $1.56 million in fiscal year 2007 for the global skills initiative and $15 million in fiscal year 2007 for technology. Both of these initiatives are part of the system's supplemental budget request. The global skills initiative is designed to keep Minnesota competitive in the global economy and expand student awareness and understanding of global trends and issues. The technology initiative is to address the critical need for a stable and secure technology infrastructure.

The bill also includes $7.2 million to reduce the student share when calculating the state grant award. Appropriated to the University of Minnesota for the Rochester campus is $5 million in FY2007, $5 million in FY2008 and $6.33 million in FY2009. Also included for the University of Minnesota is $4.9 million for dentistry virtual reality equipment, $3.2 million for College of Veterinary Medicine and $700,000 for the West Central Research and Outreach Center.

Nonfinancial provisions in the bill include the DREAM Act language that qualifies a student for resident tuition if the student attended high school in Minnesota for three or more years and graduated from a state high school or received a GED in the state. Minnesota State Colleges and Universities housekeeping language is included that clarifies the intent of senior citizen tuition. The University of Minnesota, Rochester is included, and the language reads that it is the intent of the Legislature that new and existing partnerships are to be developed and strengthened with higher education institutions in Rochester and the region in which the state already has a significant investment.

The committee adopted multiple amendments, which include language stating that at least one member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees must be an organized labor representative and one member must be a business representative. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is to convene a task force to study the costs of required textbooks for students. Also adopted is an extension through the next biennium to use any state grant surplus to increase the living and miscellaneous expense, or LME, allowance for students.

The House Higher Education Finance Division will hear the committee’s omnibus bill on Monday. It is anticipated that the bill will include $5 million for the University of Minnesota in Rochester. Stay tuned for more information on the higher education bill as it makes its way through the process.

Senate Passes the Employee Contract Ratification Bill

The Senate passed the employee contract ratification bill off the floor this week with a vote of 65-0. SF2634, sponsored by Sen. Linda Scheid, DFL-Brooklyn Park, ratifies the contracts or plans for MAPE, MMA, MSCF, AFSCME, Managerial Plan, Commissioner's Plan, Minnesota Government Engineers Council, State Residential Schools Education Association, IFO, MSUAASF, Office of Higher Education, MnSCU Administrators and the State Board of Investment. In the House, the bill has been added to the State Government Finance omnibus bill however, watch for the bill to also travel on its own.

English Language Pronunciation Taskforce

The bill that would require faculty to pronounce English clearly when teaching received a hearing this week in the House Higher Education Finance Division. HF2798, sponsored by Rep. Bud Heidgerken, R-Freeport, has received a great deal of attention since introduction, and it resembles legislation introduced last year in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly . Heidgerken said he has heard from both students and parents regarding classroom experiences where it was hard to understand a professor. Heidgerken introduced a delete-all amendment in committee that creates a task force of students, faculty, administrators and legislators to investigate and report on the assessment of faculty and teaching assistant's communications skills. Dennis Nunes, graduate dean at St. Cloud State University, testified on behalf of the system regarding processes already in place that address the concern and include assessments of language skills in classroom settings. At St. Cloud State University, applicants teach sample classes and students provide feedback on language and other skills. The bill, as amended, was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. The Senate companion sponsored by Sen. Cal Larson, R-Fergus Falls, has not yet been heard.

State University Students Spend Day at Capitol

The Minnesota State University Student Association held its lobby day at the Capitol this week. The students spent the day meeting with legislators, with a focus on HF3169, sponsored by Rep. Marty Seifert, R-Marshall. HF3169 prohibits cities from assessing colleges and students with a learning tax. The bill is in response to the St. Paul City Council proposal that would charge higher education institutions in St. Paul an additional $25 per student annually to pay for city costs. Coincidentally, the bill was heard on the House floor that day and passed on a vote of 132-0. In the Senate, the bill (SF3254) sponsored by Sen. David Senjem, R-Rochester, was heard in the State and Local Government Operations Committee and was recommended to pass. Congratulations to the students for a successful day.

Trustee Candidate Advisory Council Makes Recommendation to Governor

The Trustee Candidate Advisory Council met three days this week and voted to recommend 12 candidates to Gov. Pawlenty forappointment to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. Terms will expire June 30, 2006, for four seats on the Board; one in the 5 th congressional district, one in the 6 th congressional district and two at-large positions. Members of the Trustee Candidate Advisory Council reviewed 35 applications and the council selected 18 of those for interviews. You may find more information at http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/tcac/040506pressrelease.pdf.

Legislators to Break for the Easter and Passover Holidays

The capitol will be quiet starting Wednesday of next week through noon Tuesday, April 18, the following week as legislators head back to their home districts for an Easter and Passover break. Committees are working on omnibus bills and likely will have them passed out of committee before the break, and we expect the bonding bill to be taken up on the House floor before then as well. You will likely notice a different pace at the Capitol when legislators return April 18.

Hurricane Relief for Colleges

The Appropriations Committee in the U.S. Senate approved legislation this week by a vote of 27-1 that would provide $30 million in federal grants and at least $300 million in government loans to colleges in the Gulf Coast that were damaged by last year's hurricanes. The provisions were included in an emergency spending bill, which provides additional appropriations this year to help finance the war in Iraq and hurricane relief in Gulf Coast states. Senate leaders are hoping to bring the bill up for a vote on the Senate floor by the end of the month. The bill will have to be reconciled with a similar measure in the House of Representatives, which does not include the additional relief money.

President Signs Bill to Extend the Higher Education Act

President Bush signed a bill extending the Higher Education Act from March 31, 2006, to June 30, 2006, to give Congress additional time to pass legislation. The House of Representatives has approved its reauthorization bill (H.R.609), and the Senate will consider its bill later this year. The House bill includes provisions to authorize an Adjunct Teacher Corps, allowing professionals from outside education to lead classes in math, science and critical foreign languages; authorize a Teacher Incentive Fund program that provides grants to states interested in offering performance-based pay for teachers; provide up to two full Pell grants to students attending throughout the year; support critical foreign language study through partnerships between schools and colleges; and authorizes money for teacher