State of the State Address
On Tuesday, Gov. Perry gave his annual “State of the State Address” to a joint session of the Senate and House. The governor called for fiscal restraint during the current economic downturn. Following are some highlights from his remarks:
“For many young Texans, that next step is college. Let’s work together to make college accessible and affordable for more qualified, motivated students than ever before.
“I propose increased funding for the Texas Grant Program ... that has opened the door for traditionally underserved Texans. I like this approach because it not only knocks down a barrier between hard-working students and the success they desire. It also keeps our college classrooms supplied with students who are motivated and prepared to succeed ....
“Any discussion of higher education must include our community colleges and proprietary schools. Every year, these institutions turn out students who are prepared to succeed in the completion of their four-year college degree, as well as folks ready to work in the trades that contribute so much to our quality of life.
“I agree with Comptroller (Susan) Combs that we should significantly increase our investment in community colleges. Besides being anchors to their local communities, these schools are ideally positioned to educate a growing population of workers that have either been displaced by the current economic turmoil, or have job skills that have been outpaced by rapidly-evolving technology.”
To watch a rebroadcast of the “State of the State Address” or to view the full text of Gov. Perry’s remarks, visit http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/11852/.
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The Budget
The big news of the previous week was the filing of SB 1, the base budget bill. The significant change for this cycle is the filing of two different budget bills in each chamber – even though the budget process begins in the Senate and moves to the House later in the session.
The base budget bill seeks to give community colleges $65.8 million more than the last biennium, which represents a 3.9 percent increase in the overall formula appropriation. However, the base budget bill also includes a strict definition of proportionality, which was the basis for Gov. Perry’s 2007 veto.
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Bills, Bills and More Bills
We are monitoring a number of proposed bills that could have an impact on community colleges. Bills of interest include those related to: proportionality, textbooks, accountability, immigration, appraisal caps, tuition caps and other fun topics. We will keep you updated as individual bills begin to move.
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Community College Day in Austin
Next Wednesday, community college students will converge on the state capital as part of Community College Day in Austin. More than 1,000 community college students from Texas will participate, including 120 DCCCD students.
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This Week in Washington ...
We continue to monitor the movement of the economic stimulus bill and any benefits that it may provide to community colleges. The bill passed the House this week, and discussion has begun in the Senate.
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