UNI Legislative Update
The Office of Governmental Relations provides legislative updates to the campus community through online communication and bimonthly campus presentations. These updates will inform faculty, staff and students of hot topics facing the legislature and legislative actions affecting UNI and the Regents institutions.
April 24, 2008
From the CR Gazette
Culver priorities make the cut
By Rod Boshart The Gazette
DES MOINES — The Senate last night approved a $988 million educational funding package for fiscal 2009 that included several of Gov. Chet Culver’s priorities.
By a 34-12 vote, senators agreed to appropriate $4 million for Culver’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics collaborative initiatives at the University of Northern Iowa. They also beefed up the needs-based All-Iowa opportunity scholarships by $2.5 million to a new $4 million level, and allocated $1.9 million for the senior-plus program to expand collegecredit courses for high school students — including $500,000 to cover fees for advanced placement exams.
Sen. Frank Wood, D-Eldridge, the billÂ’s floor manager, said the provisions resulted from negotiations between the governor and leaders of the Democrat-led Legislature.
“This is a huge piece,” he said. “Going in I thought it was going to be a bleak year.” The amended House File 2679 that now goes back to the House also boosted state aid to community colleges by $9.1 million, with a $1.5 million increase for salaries. General fund spending for regent universities held relatively steady, with much of the increases to come separately in a state employee salary bill.
The Senate also struck House-passed language that would require the state Board of Regents to report any funded activities or studies that involve actions that violate state law. The language was spurred by news reports about a University of Iowa professorÂ’s research on the effects of marijuana use. During floor debate, senators voted generally along political party lines 17-31 to defeat an amendment that would have required libraries that receive state funding to set policies to restrict access to R-rated video material for borrowers under the age of 17.