Appropriations
We started this session with great hopes that the legislature would recognize the importance of community colleges. Although state lawmakers left a great deal of the surplus untouched, community colleges were not forgotten in the budget. 
With all of the last-minute discussions about funding — and, specifically, about higher education — legislators finally passed the budget last weekend. The result for community colleges is a $134 million increase, which translates into approximately $9.5 million in additional funds for DCCCD’s allocation.
The bill also provides more than $2.4 million to DCCCD for group health insurance. This extra funding will help offset cuts that the legislature previously made in group health insurance, but it still does not cover our costs. DCCCD also should be able to tap into some of the funding included as part of Gov. Perry’s incentive plan.
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Legislation
A number of bills were introduced this session that focused on higher education, including legislatio n that would have altered the Noriega Bill, which focuses on tuition for immigrant students. We also tracked bills that would have decreased textbook costs for students and others that would have brought more attention to the core curriculum. Each of these bills died.
DCCCD worked diligently on several other bills, but they did not survive this tumultuous session. Other more troubling bills died, only to be revived at the last minute as amendments to other legislation. After we finalize our review of the legislation that survived, we will develop a more in-depth analysis. [View the list of accomplishments identified by the House]
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Final Words
 Thanks to the advocacy efforts of many people like you, DCCCD’s presence was felt and heard as the legislature considered bills that were important to us. We did not win every battle during this session, but legislators and their staffs now know that we are a “player” in this arena. Thanks so much to all of you for supporting our legislative efforts. Now we begin our plans to keep the DCCCD drumbeat rolling into the next legislative session. More to come...
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