The 2018 Legislative session started on Tuesday, February 20 and will run through Monday, May 21. The IFO has a number of important items we are working to pass this session as Gov. Dayton’s final term comes to an end. Below I will provide a detailed update on those items we are working hard to pass or stop.
IFO Contract
The IFO contract settlement has been introduced in the MN Senate as SF3154. This bill contains all other state employee contracts that have been finalized, thus far. On Tuesday, March 20 the bill cleared its first hurdle and passed out of the Senate State and Local Government Committee. It has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, March 22. That will be the final committee stop before it is sent to the full Senate for consideration. We expect the bill to be passed by the Senate and sent to the House by the end of March. We urge you to contact your Legislators today and ask them to support the IFO contract.
The House has elected not to introduce a separate bill, as of March 20. It is expected they will wait for the Senate to pass SF3154 and take it up for consideration once the bill is received from the Senate.
As a reminder, the contract settlement MUST be approved by the Legislature before it will go into effect. For more details about the contract settlement please click here.
Additional Campus Funding
MinnState and the IFO are advocating for an additional $10 million in direct campus funding from the Legislature. The budget approved last year left $10 million unfunded from the request of MinnState. Various bills have been introduced to provide these funds to our campuses. The Legislature has a $329 million surplus to work with.
Gov. Dayton released his supplemental budget proposal on Friday, March 16, which can be found here. Dayton’s plan spends $226 million of the state’s projected $329 million surplus, which includes funding $10 million for campus support for Minnesota State and $8.5 million in ongoing funding for Next Gen (ISRS overhaul).
During the State of the State address, Gov. Dayton said, “State government’s funding for higher education has also declined. In 2012, state support for the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State, and financial aid was, in real dollars, the lowest it had been since 1981. Once again, we have restored some of that loss, but we have still shifted too much of the costs of attending our state colleges and universities onto students and their parents.”
If the $10 million is appropriated by the Legislature, campuses would receive the following amounts: BSU $375,000, Metro $459,000, MSU Mankato $919,000, MSU Moorhead $479,000, SMSU $302,000, SCSU $988,000, WSU $581,000.
Campus Infrastructure Investments
Even year sessions are traditionally known as “bonding” years. These are sessions in which large investments are made in state-owned infrastructure. Typically, higher education will make up one-third of the total investment, split between MinnState and the Univ of Minnesota system.
The IFO is advocating for the MinnState capital investment request. The MinnState request includes $130 million for asset preservation (HEAPR) and $94.5 million (representing $63 million of state support and $31.5 million of MinnState support) for individual capital projects. The university campuses with projects include Bemidji State, MSU Moorhead, and MSU Mankato.
Governor Mark Dayton has proposed a $1.5 billion bonding package, including half a billion dollars for higher education, and $274.5 million for Minnesota State. This number consists of $243.3 million in state funding and $31.2 million in Minnesota State funding.
MinnState’s bonding request totals $224.5 million (further information can be found on the Minnesota State legislative website), but Dayton in his recommendation acknowledges the importance of taking care of the state’s infrastructure, and is recommending the system's entire request plus an additional $50 million in asset preservation (HEAPR).
Academic Freedom
LeadMN, the organization representing community and technical college students has pushed a bill to reduce textbook costs. The bills (SF3098/HF3985) require MinnState to post cost material information as part of course registration information. It would also require MinnState to create a plan to reduce the costs of textbooks. We are supportive of efforts to reduce the costs for students but are opposed to any mandates that infringe on academic freedom. We are opposed to these bills.
Campus Debt Service Repeal
The IFO is working with Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona) and Sen. Kent Eken (DFL-Moorhead) on HF3746/SF3506, which have been introduced to repeal a provision that requires campuses to pay 1/3 of the total costs of new and remodeled building projects on our campuses. The provision was passed in the 1990’s in an effort to slow building projects on MinnState campuses but it has instead led to more building because campuses are all too willing to spend tuition revenue to upgrade their buildings. The IFO is supporting these bills. The bills would only repeal for projects going forward. Campuses would still be obligated to pay for past projects.
MinnState Central Office Relocation
Rep. Jim Knoblach and Sen. Jerry Relph have introduced HF3817/SF3402 that would require MinnState system offices to be relocated to a campus after the expiration of their current lease in Downtown St. Paul. The IFO does not have a position on this bill.
Lobby Days
The IFO held its annual Lobby Days event on Feb 28-Mar 1. We had faculty representing each of our seven state universities meet with Legislative leaders and local campus Rep's and Senators to discuss the issues important to state university faculty. IFO members met with dozens of Legislators and their discussions led directly to introduction of bills, previously unidentified supporters, and a lot of progress on our key issues.
Additional updates will be sent throughout the Legislative session. If you are interested in contacting your Legislators please use our Legislative Action Center.
If you have any questions please contact me at bohn@ifo.org.
IFO Legislative Update -- IFO Contract Clears First Committee Hurdle