AICUP Message to Friends of Independent Higher Education - December 21, 2011
General Assembly Wraps Up the Legislative Session for 2011
The state Senate and House adjourned until January without passing many of Governor Corbett’s priorities for the year. The Senate passed a school voucher bill, but the House Republican Caucus couldn’t muster sufficient votes to pass it on the floor and most observers say this issue is dead until after the 2012 election. Both chambers passed Marcellus Shale bills (including impact fees) but the House and Senate could not agree on a compromise bill, so this issue remains unresolved and is likely to end up in a conference committee. The liquor stores remain in state hands as well. While public opinion polls show general satisfaction with Governor Corbett’s handling of the budget (on-time with no tax increase) and emergency management (floods and Penn State), he will not have a major legislative victory in 2011.
The General Assembly did pass a redistricting plan for state legislative and Congressional districts, and the House approved the Capital Budget Act and increased the spending cap for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) on Monday evening. The RACP bill authorizes $1.7 billion in new state borrowing, avoiding the possible shutdown of thousands of construction projects across Pennsylvania and perhaps setting the scene for a new itemization bill.
Mid-Year Budget Briefing
Yesterday, the Governor gave his mid-year budget report. It was not positive since the state’s revenues are $345 million below the estimate for tax collections. The state has to prepare not only for expected revenue shortfalls of at least $500 million by the end of this fiscal year but also $800 million in mandatory state spending increases (medical assistance, debt service and pensions) for the coming fiscal year, according to Budget Secretary Charles Zogby. This means we can expect the Governor to propose flat funding or cuts for just about everything else in his February state budget proposal.
Higher Education Bills that Passed:
1) SR 250--sponsored by Senator Ward (R-Westmoreland), the Chair of the Aging and Youth Committee, passed the Senate unanimously. The resolution establishes an 11 member bicameral, bipartisan Task Force on Child Protection empowered to conduct a comprehensive review to:
(i) ascertain any inadequacies relating to the mandatory reporting of child abuse;
(ii) restore public confidence in the ability of the Commonwealth to protect the victims of child abuse.
2) SB 957--sponsored by Senator Tomlinson (R-Bucks) provides for the licensure of athletic trainers. The legislation passed both the House and Senate and the Governor has until 12/25/11 to sign the legislation.
Higher Education Bills that Moved:
· HB 915--sponsored by Rep. Metcalfe (R-Butler), the Chair of the State Government Committee, provides for photo identification when voting. This bill was amended in the Senate with input from AICUP to allow student IDs to be used if issued by an accredited Pennsylvania college or university despite the fact that most student IDs do not have an expiration date. The bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
· HB 1327 & 1328--sponsored by Rep. Carroll (D-Luzerne) provides for changes to duties and powers of campus police. Referred to House Judiciary.
· HB 134--sponsored by Rep. Baker (R-Tioga) is the State System of Higher Education Modernization Act. It includes a variety of changes to improve efficiency and free SSHE universities from some regulation. The bill also allows state system universities to offer applied doctoral degrees. This legislation passed the House and is currently in the Senate. The Senate also has a package of bills (SBs 1133, 1211, 1221, 1239, 1242, 1289) that moved to the House to make the same sort of changes. AICUP’s Board has been closely monitoring this legislation.
· SB 84--sponsored by Senator Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) allows PHEAA to award state scholarships to students taking more than 50 percent of their credit hours online. This bill is essentially on hold while PHEAA conducts a study on this topic.
· SB 1310--sponsored by Senator Gordner (R-Columbia) passed the House and will return to the Senate in January as amended. This bill contains authorization for the state Department of Labor and Industry to issue as much as $4.5 billion in bonds in an effort to pay off the debt Pennsylvania owes to the federal government. Pennsylvania borrowed money from the federal government to support the state UC Fund which was facing insolvency due to the continued high rate of unemployment following the most recent economic recession. State employers would not continue to be hit with federal UC tax penalties related to the unpaid debt to the federal government. Employers, instead, would pay less money to the state to cover the bond that would be issued.
Recent AICUP Discussions with PDE
· AICUP has engaged the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in conversation regarding teacher education changes. Faculty from Grove City College, Marywood University and Gettysburg College and AICUP’s Mary Young met with Jill Hans, the Deputy Secretary of Postsecondary Education, and Terry Barnaby, Director of School Leadership and Teacher Quality, regarding concerns with the implementation of Chapter 49 regulations and guidelines.
· AICUP has asked PDE senior staff to clarify the policy regarding credit hours for private colleges and universities.
· AICUP has conveyed concerns with senior PDE staff about the delays in program approval experienced by private colleges and universities. Deputy Secretary Hans responded to those concerns by streamlining some of the PDE procedures, which were outlined in a fall memo. We expect to see the introduction of legislation next year to eliminate the need for restricted charter private colleges and universities to seek PDE approval of degrees, majors and programs.
Did you know? The Governor’s budget proposal for 2012-13 will be presented on February 7, 2012. The AICUP e-mail will not resume until the end of January. AICUP wishes all our friends a very happy holiday.
AICUP Message to Friends of Independent Higher Education - December 21, 2011
General Assembly Wraps Up the Legislative Session for 2011
The state Senate and House adjourned until January without passing many of Governor Corbett’s priorities for the year. The Senate passed a school voucher bill, but the House Republican Caucus couldn’t muster sufficient votes to pass it on the floor and most observers say this issue is dead until after the 2012 election. Both chambers passed Marcellus Shale bills (including impact fees) but the House and Senate could not agree on a compromise bill, so this issue remains unresolved and is likely to end up in a conference committee. The liquor stores remain in state hands as well. While public opinion polls show general satisfaction with Governor Corbett’s handling of the budget (on-time with no tax increase) and emergency management (floods and Penn State), he will not have a major legislative victory in 2011.
The General Assembly did pass a redistricting plan for state legislative and Congressional districts, and the House approved the Capital Budget Act and increased the spending cap for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) on Monday evening. The RACP bill authorizes $1.7 billion in new state borrowing, avoiding the possible shutdown of thousands of construction projects across Pennsylvania and perhaps setting the scene for a new itemization bill.
Mid-Year Budget Briefing
Yesterday, the Governor gave his mid-year budget report. It was not positive since the state’s revenues are $345 million below the estimate for tax collections. The state has to prepare not only for expected revenue shortfalls of at least $500 million by the end of this fiscal year but also $800 million in mandatory state spending increases (medical assistance, debt service and pensions) for the coming fiscal year, according to Budget Secretary Charles Zogby. This means we can expect the Governor to propose flat funding or cuts for just about everything else in his February state budget proposal.
Higher Education Bills that Passed:
1) SR 250--sponsored by Senator Ward (R-Westmoreland), the Chair of the Aging and Youth Committee, passed the Senate unanimously. The resolution establishes an 11 member bicameral, bipartisan Task Force on Child Protection empowered to conduct a comprehensive review to:
(i) ascertain any inadequacies relating to the mandatory reporting of child abuse;
(ii) restore public confidence in the ability of the Commonwealth to protect the victims of child abuse.
2) SB 957--sponsored by Senator Tomlinson (R-Bucks) provides for the licensure of athletic trainers. The legislation passed both the House and Senate and the Governor has until 12/25/11 to sign the legislation.
Higher Education Bills that Moved:
· HB 915--sponsored by Rep. Metcalfe (R-Butler), the Chair of the State Government Committee, provides for photo identification when voting. This bill was amended in the Senate with input from AICUP to allow student IDs to be used if issued by an accredited Pennsylvania college or university despite the fact that most student IDs do not have an expiration date. The bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
· HB 1327 & 1328--sponsored by Rep. Carroll (D-Luzerne) provides for changes to duties and powers of campus police. Referred to House Judiciary.
· HB 134--sponsored by Rep. Baker (R-Tioga) is the State System of Higher Education Modernization Act. It includes a variety of changes to improve efficiency and free SSHE universities from some regulation. The bill also allows state system universities to offer applied doctoral degrees. This legislation passed the House and is currently in the Senate. The Senate also has a package of bills (SBs 1133, 1211, 1221, 1239, 1242, 1289) that moved to the House to make the same sort of changes. AICUP’s Board has been closely monitoring this legislation.
· SB 84--sponsored by Senator Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) allows PHEAA to award state scholarships to students taking more than 50 percent of their credit hours online. This bill is essentially on hold while PHEAA conducts a study on this topic.
· SB 1310--sponsored by Senator Gordner (R-Columbia) passed the House and will return to the Senate in January as amended. This bill contains authorization for the state Department of Labor and Industry to issue as much as $4.5 billion in bonds in an effort to pay off the debt Pennsylvania owes to the federal government. Pennsylvania borrowed money from the federal government to support the state UC Fund which was facing insolvency due to the continued high rate of unemployment following the most recent economic recession. State employers would not continue to be hit with federal UC tax penalties related to the unpaid debt to the federal government. Employers, instead, would pay less money to the state to cover the bond that would be issued.
Recent AICUP Discussions with PDE
· AICUP has engaged the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in conversation regarding teacher education changes. Faculty from Grove City College, Marywood University and Gettysburg College and AICUP’s Mary Young met with Jill Hans, the Deputy Secretary of Postsecondary Education, and Terry Barnaby, Director of School Leadership and Teacher Quality, regarding concerns with the implementation of Chapter 49 regulations and guidelines.
· AICUP has asked PDE senior staff to clarify the policy regarding credit hours for private colleges and universities.
· AICUP has conveyed concerns with senior PDE staff about the delays in program approval experienced by private colleges and universities. Deputy Secretary Hans responded to those concerns by streamlining some of the PDE procedures, which were outlined in a fall memo. We expect to see the introduction of legislation next year to eliminate the need for restricted charter private colleges and universities to seek PDE approval of degrees, majors and programs.
Did you know? The Governor’s budget proposal for 2012-13 will be presented on February 7, 2012. The AICUP e-mail will not resume until the end of January. AICUP wishes all our friends a very happy holiday.