(Photo from Karl Oliver on FB)
- The Mississippi House looks to increase state community college spending by $100 million while also raising university spending by $53 million above legislative budget requests.
Strike-all amendments were made to two Senate appropriations bills to reflect the House of Representative’s stance on state support for public community colleges and universities.
During discussion of the bills, Speaker Jason White (R) said the strike-all amendments only reflect totals proposed by the House and are not final. He also added that the appropriations bills sent over by the Senate were not taken up in groups, or en bloc, in an effort to keep the members abreast of how those figures may change as they move through the process.
“Our appropriators thought that you, as members, ought to see where the House positions exactly are on the number now, whether we agree with the numbers or not,” White said. “Don’t be surprised when conference is invited.”
Through a strike-all to SB 3063, the House’s position on supporting the state’s community and junior colleges totals $870.7 million, about $100 million above the Legislative Budget Request.
“That $100 million is a capital expense fund for repairs and renovations.” House Appropriations E Committee Chair State Rep. Karl Oliver (R) said.
When asked by State Rep. Chris Bell (D) how the $100 million would be distributed between the 15 community colleges, Oliver said a formula based on factors such as enrollment, campus size, number of buildings and square footage will be employed. Bell also asked how often capital expense funds are provided to the community colleges.
“We attempt to provide the community and junior colleges renovation and repair funds about every session, if we can agree to expend capital expense funds, which we did not reach that agreement last year,” Oliver responded.
State Rep. Donnie Scoggin (R) asked if pay raises for community college faculty and staff were included. Oliver responded by saying the House is still working with the Senate on that issue and a final decision has not been made.
“I commit we’ll continue working on it, gentleman,” Oliver said.
The strike-all amendment to SB 3063 passed off the floor of the House by a vote of 119 to 0.
On the university front, suggested state general support funding proposed by the House for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning came in just shy of $1.7 billion, or about $53 million above the Legislative Budget Request. The House position was added as a strike-all to SB 3053.
State Rep. Robert Johnson (D) wanted to know if Mississippi Valley State University was finally going to get the money it has needed for the past two decades to improve and build dorms on its campus. Oliver said that the $53 million increase suggested by the House would provide more restoration and repair money, but how much each university receives is also determined by a formula.
During discussion of the bill, State Rep. Becky Currie (R) inquired if consideration has ever been given to dissolving the IHL Board of Trustees so that money could be used elsewhere.
“We have a $350 million deficit appropriation for Medicaid and we could send money directly to the schools and not have that Board then we could get rid of some of our deficit appropriations,” Currie proposed. “Have we ever thought about doing anything like that?”
Oliver said there have not been any conversations to that effect, but he would be open to discussing the matter further.
The university funding bill passed the House by a vote of 116 to 3.
Both bills will now head to the Senate for consideration, with the likely outcome being that they head to conference as the session winds down.
