2005 Senate Bill 273

Appropriations: 2005-2006 Higher Education budget

Introduced in the Senate

March 2, 2005

Introduced by Sen. Deborah Cherry (D-26)

The executive recommendation for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005-2006 higher education budget. This appropriates $1.642 billion in unadjusted gross spending (funded from all sources, including special state restricted fund and federal pass-through dollars), compared to $1.690 billion, which was the FY 2004-2005 amount enrolled in 2004. Of this, $1.492 billion will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2004-2005 amount of $1.600 billion. Much more information on Michigan’s budget is available at <a href="http://www.mackinac.org/article.asp?ID=4964">Hot Topics: Michigan’s Budget Challenge</a> at www.mackinac.org/4964.

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

June 14, 2005

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

June 16, 2005

Substitute offered

To replace the executive proposal for this budget with one that expresses policy differences between the Republican-majority in the Senate and Governor Jennifer Granholm on certain spending items and funding sources. Primary among these, Republicans have proposed a new funding formula that allocates money on the basis of a school's enrollment, research activities and the number of degrees granted. The two big losers are Wayne State University and Northern Michigan University, which get 5 percent and 10 percent cuts, respectively. All other universities get increases. For much more detail see <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2005-2006/billanalysis/senate/pdf/2005-SFA-0273-U.pdf">analysis</a> from the non-partisan Senate Fiscal Agency.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Martha G. Scott (D-2)

To add approximately 5 percent to funding for Wayne State University. Note: Based on 2003 figures, WSU gets approximately $11,400 per resident student, and the average for all state universities is $6,300.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Michael Prusi (D-38)

To add approximately 10 percent to funding for Northern Michigan University. Note: Based on 2003 figures, NMU gets approximately $7,100 per resident student, and the average for all state universities is $6,300.

The amendment failed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Sen. Bob Emerson (D-27)

To not revise the funding allocation formula, but give all state universities the same amount they were given in the previous year, while shifting any increased appropriations to competitive scholarship programs.

The amendment failed 16 to 21 (details)

Passed in the Senate 23 to 14 (details)

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2005-2006 higher education budget. This appropriates $1.706 billion in unadjusted gross spending, compared to $1.690 billion, which was the FY 2004-2005 amount enrolled in 2004. Of this, $1.556 billion will come from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues), compared to the FY 2004-2005 amount of $1.600 billion. The budget cuts funding for Northern Michigan and Wayne State Universities, and increases it for other schools.

Received in the House

June 21, 2005

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations

June 28, 2005

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Substitute offered

To replace the Senate-passed version of this budget with one that “strips” all actual appropriations. See House-passed version for explanation.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 102 to 0 (details)

To send the bill back to the Senate "stripped" of all actual appropriations, leaving it in its original form as a "template" or "placeholder." This vote is basically a procedural method of launching negotiations to work out the differences between the House and Senate budgets.

Received in the Senate

June 29, 2005

June 30, 2005

Failed in the Senate 0 to 35 (details)

To concur with a House-passed version of the bill. The vote sends the bill to a House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences.

Sept. 13, 2005

Received

Received in the House

Sept. 13, 2005

In the Senate

Oct. 11, 2005

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations