Legislative Advocacy Archives - 2010
February 3, 2010
Links
Budget Priorities for 2010 Legislative Session (PDF | 25KB)
Key Talking Points on University's Progress Towards State Goals and Funding (PDF | 1015KB)
Center for Creative Technologies Overview (PDF | 708KB)
Grow By Degrees Program Overview (PDF | 1MB)
Grow by Degree Program Website
“HOKIE DAY 2010” AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Richmond, VA | Wednesday, February 3, 2010
This is an extremely important year for Virginia Tech’s requests for operating and capital project support in the biennial budget. We need Virginia Tech alumni to help by coming together in Richmond for the annual “Hokie Day” to visit with legislators. This is probably the toughest budget the state has had to consider with an economic recession during which many pressing needs must be addressed. On February 3rd , we will gather for breakfast and a briefing in the SunTrust Bank Building downtown, and then move to the “Hill” to show our strong presence of Hokies. We have invited Governor McDonnell to visit with us at some point during our visit. We will return later to the same room at SunTrust for lunch and a debriefing of our earlier visits. Please RSVP to nhagen@vt.edu. If you have specific questions about plans for the day, you may contact Betty Lee at our Alumni Office in Richmond at 804/786-8111, cell 540/798-7695, or by e-mail at bettylee@vt.edu.
8 AM
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
SunTrust Bank Building
24th Floor - Executive Dining Room
919 East Main Street
8:30 AM
OPENING COMMENTS
Tom Tillar, Vice President for Alumni Relations
Mark Lawrence, Chairman, Alumni Board Legislative Advocacy Committee
UNIVERSITY PRIORITIES
University President Charles Steger
BRIEFING
2009 General Assembly Issues and Update
Ralph Byers, Executive Director of Government Relations
Laura Fornash, Director of State of Government Relations
9:15 AM
MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS and LEGISLATIVE STAFFS
Walk together to Capitol Hill, General Assembly Building
Late Morning
GROUP PHOTO WITH Governor McDonnell (Tentative)
12 PM
RECOGNITION of HOKIES
In Senate and House of Delegates opening sessions
12:30 PM
BUFFET LUNCHEON
SunTrust Bank Building
24th Floor – Executive Dining Room
919 East Main Street
DEBRIEFING
2 PM
OPTION TO CONTINUE PRE-ARRANGED MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS
Please plan to join us on February 3 and help support Virginia Tech’s appropriations requests. RSVP to nhagen@vt.edu if you can attend and have not already responded. All meals are hosted for our alumni volunteers.
Thank you for your help and support,
Tom Tillar
Virginia Tech Alumni Association
February 26, 2010
General Assembly Approves Money Committee Reports
By Laura Fornash, Director, State Government Relations
RICHMOND, Va., February 26, 2010 -- The Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committee met last Sunday to announce their budget amendments to the "caboose bill" for the fiscal year ending June 2010 and the Introduced Budget Bill for the 2010-2012 biennium.
Higher education did not receive any additional reductions. The members of the General Assembly and Gov. Robert McDonnell believe that higher education, having lost over 25 percent of its state support since the fall of 2007, should not be reduced further.
Both committees also recommended eliminating former governor Timothy Kaine’s proposal to transfer to the state’s General Fund up to 5 percent of auxiliary reserve fund balances (non-general fund). Institutions and students throughout the commonwealth, including many Virginia Tech alumni and students through the Student Government Association, recommended against the transfer of these funds to the state general fund. Such funds are obtained through student fees intended to support very specific program areas such as parking services, athletics, and residence or dining halls that do not receive state support.
The House amendments, while not reducing support to the system of higher education, reallocated funds across the institutions. The House provided an additional $6.8 million in additional stimulus funds for Fiscal Year 2011-2012 for Virginia Tech and removed general funds of $4.5 million for Fiscal Year 2012-2013. The House bill creates a new allocation each year of the biennium for research equipment including $2.2 million for Virginia Tech.
No changes in the allocation to individual institutions were made by the Senate Finance Committee for operating support. However, the Senate created a $2.50 per credit hour capital fee for Virginia students similar to the capital fee paid by nonresident students. This would cost a resident student carrying the average course load of 14 credit hours per semester an additional $70 annually.
A most welcome development included a recommendation from both committees for a three percent bonus for state employees in December 2011.
Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger thanked the House and Senate stating that “We understand the severity of the state’s fiscal situation and appreciate the General Assembly’s attention to this important issue. Our dedicated faculty and staff are long overdue for salary increases. We hope that the revenue situation will improve over the next year so that this bonus can be made a permanent increase.”
In other areas of employee compensation, the House Appropriations Committee removed the one day furlough proposed for this fiscal year and does not include any additional furlough days in the 2010-2012 biennial budget. The House also restored the deferred cash match program (valued at $480 a year to employees who participate) and eliminated the proposal for current employees to contribute to their retirement costs.
Del. Lacey E. Putney, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, commended state employees in his remarks to the committee members, stating that state employees had done more with less during this financial crisis, have continued to work hard, and have been partners in helping to find ways to reduce costs and deliver services more efficiently for the people of Virginia.
Unfortunately, the Senate Finance Committee budget continued the Kaine administration proposal where employees contribute to retirement. Employees in the Virginia Retirement System or the optional retirement systems would contribute one percent of base salary in Fiscal Year 2011 and two percent in Fiscal Year 2012. The senate also included three furlough days in each year of the biennium. Steger and other university officials have conveyed to legislators the problematic difficulty enacting furloughs in the university environment when most of the salary budget comes from sources other than state taxpayers.
Budgets from both chambers proposed a number of benefit changes for employees hired after July 1, 2010, including employee retirement contributions.
The continuing dire budget situation has forced painful cuts in all areas of state government. In an effort to solve a $4.5 billion revenue shortfall, legislators and the money committees have proposed eliminating numerous state services, programs, and agencies.
In addition to the severe budget reductions already taken by the university and the Virginia Cooperative Extension the past two years, the House budget includes language mandating the reorganization of cooperative extension by “eliminating programming in family and consumer services, community viability, and lawn and garden programs statewide. “ Further the language requires the closure of urban offices and the consolidation of 13 rural offices in western and central Virginia with an estimated budget impact of $2.5 million in Fiscal Year 2012. The elimination of this language and the associated budget reduction will be a major priority for the university with the budget conferees.
Other areas of university operations would also be hit. Under the House plan the state match for the Eminent Scholars Program would be eliminated including $385,000 for Virginia Tech. The House recommends elimination of all community service grants for Virginia public broadcasting operations including more than $103,000 for Virginia Tech’s WVTF public radio station.
On Thursday, these budget amendments were adopted by their respective houses. As is customary, each house will reject the amendments of the opposite chamber and send them into a conference committee for development of a conference report.
The conference committee must complete its work by midnight on Tuesday, March 9. Until then, the university will be focusing its efforts on urging with the conferees and their staffs to restore the cuts to cooperative extension, maintain no further reductions to higher education, continue to fully support state employee retirement contributions, the 3 percent employee bonus, cash match program, and eliminate all furlough days.
The session is scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, March 13.
Contact Laura Fornash at fornash@vt.edu or 804-786-1604.
October 2010
Welcome to Hokies for Higher Education
Greetings from Virginia Tech’s Alumni Association and Legislative Advocacy Group!
While we know everyone is busy with work and Virginia Tech football, we are pleased to provide our fall newsletter, Hokies for Higher Education. The purpose of this publication is twofold: to keep you apprised of current political issues affecting higher education in Virginia; and to create a network of Hokie alumni that are passionate about advocating for higher education. As alumni who have benefited from the outstanding education we received at Virginia Tech, we have a responsibility to help communicate to our elected officials the importance of higher education in the lives of our citizens, our communities, and the world.
Please read on to learn more about what’s in store for our advocacy program, current topics of interest, upcoming events, and ways you can help the Hokie nation and get involved!
Governor McDonnell's Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment
By Elizabeth Hooper, State Legislative Liaison, Government Relations
Within weeks of being sworn in as the 71st Governor of Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell announced the creation of the Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation and Investment. Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger, Alumni Del. Tom Rust and Linwood Rose, President of James Madison University, serve on the Commission. In addition, former Director of State Government Relations at Virginia Tech and current Deputy Secretary of Education for the Governor, Laura Fornash, is working alongside the Commission. Governor McDonnell, who has made higher education reform an important policy objective of his administration, appointed the Commission to examine every aspect of Virginia's system of higher education. The Commission's work to this point has focused on higher education's role in economic development, making a college education more accessible and affordable, and identifying reform opportunities for colleges and universities so that scarce resources can be reallocated to instruction and research.
As the General Assembly session approaches, Virginia Tech will be joining other Virginia universities, colleges, and community colleges in working to seek enactment of Governor McDonnell's legislative proposals.
Public higher education, to the surprise of many Virginians, is a significant driver of Virginia's economy. In fact, for every $1 spent on public higher education in Virginia, $1.39 in tax revenue is generated. With that kind of return on investment, it is hardly surprising that business leaders and Virginia's political leaders recognize the importance of increased degree attainment as a key component of Governor McDonnell's initiative. Studies show that Virginia's universities and community colleges must confer an additional 100,000 degrees over the next ten years if Virginia is to become one of the best educated states in America. Many of these new degrees will be focused in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, a perfect fit with the mission and world-class educational capabilities at Virginia Tech.
This is likely to be the most significant higher education reform package in Virginia since the community college system was created in the 60's. This initiative could not be more timely, as the high-paying jobs of the 21st Century will be created in those states which have the best educated workforce, and the best research universities. Virginia Tech - indeed, the entire Commonwealth - will benefit greatly from the kind of comprehensive legislation which is currently being considered and the support of the thousands of Virginia Tech graduates who reside in the state will be critical in the effort. To find out more on the Governor’s Commission, click on the following link: www.education.virginia.gov.
2010 Hokie Legislators
The Virginia House of Delegates:
Del. Anne B. Crockett-Stark ● Del. David A. Nutter
Del. James M. Shuler ● Del. Edward T. Scott
Del. Joe T. May ● Del. David L. Bulova
Del. Richard Anderson ● Del. Robert D. Orrock Sr.
Del. James E. Edmunds II ● Del. William K. Barlow
Del. Johnny S. Joannou ● Del. Thomas D. Rust
Del. G. Glenn Oder
The Senate of Virginia:
Sen. John C. Watkins ● Sen. Mark D. Obenshain
Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel ● Sen. Phillip P. Pucket
Coming Soon:
Hokies for Higher Education on Facebook &
Virginia Tech Hokies for Higher Education Advocacy Network Website
Upcoming Dates:
January 12, 2011 • General Assembly begins
January 27, 2011 • 13th Annual Hokie Day
Questions or Comments?
Please contact:
Elizabeth Hooper
State Legislative Liaison
ehooper@vt.edu
Betty Lee
Regional Alumni Programs & Legislative Advocacy
bettylee@vt.edu
Nancy Hagen
Administrative Staff Assistant
nhagen@vt.edu