2008 Woodie Awards
Perry rescinds previous line-item veto
Scott Figuerola
Issue date: 11/12/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
|
Perry previously used his line-item veto to deny these monies to community colleges.
With the restoration of these monies, health insurance benefits can be paid out starting in 2009, which will be the second year of health care benefits for state paid employees at Texas community colleges.
Dr. Wright Lassiter, chancellor of the Dallas County Community College District, described this as a short-term temporary action regarding community college funding issues. He said he sees Perry making progress with restoring funds and establishing a committee to research funding issues.
The panel will report their results at the next legislative session in January 2009.
Lassiter said out of the $154 million, $15.7 million is allocated to DCCCD, which will pay for a year of health care benefits.
He said he was part of a committee that wrote letters, attended meetings in Austin and visited legislators to stress the importance of these monies to Texas community colleges.
Lassiter said it is important for Perry to restore these funds so DCCCD students will not have tuition increases for the next year or two.
He said when he was appointed chancellor he wanted to adopt a plan to not raise tuition for two to three years.
"We plan tuition increases in a two-to-three-year cycle," Lassiter said. "Most students are not going to graduate within two to three years, but at least they will know their tuition will not increase for that amount of time."
He said some colleges increased their taxes and tuition, but he was optimistic that a resolution would be met. The governor has recommended colleges that raised tuition return this money to their students.
In Dewhurst's press release, he states: "Community colleges are the backbone of our higher education system. That's why it was critical to me that we restore the vetoed funds and ensure higher education in Texas remains affordable and accessible to anyone who wants it, without putting any extra financial burden on students and taxpayers."
Lassiter said approximately 70 percent of all first-time higher education students in Texas are enrolled in a community college, which makes a strong case for adequate funding. He said the amount of funding the state government gives community colleges has been steadily decreasing since 1983.
"In 1983 the state provided 51 percent of funding to community colleges," Lassiter said. "That number has dropped to 27 percent in 2007."
He said the two choices community colleges have to make up the money are to increase tuition or increase taxes. DCCCD is in the lower tier of tuitions rates in Texas (39 out of 50) and Lassiter said he would like it to stay that way.
Be the first to comment on this story