Posted 6/27/01 Senate pushing to finish Stateís business: Higher Education and Environment/Agriculture Bills Passed on Monday The DFL-controlled Senate today continued to push for an end to this year's prolonged legislative session as it passed a bill to fund state environment and agriculture programs. The Senate passed the bill on a bipartisan 55-5 vote in an attempt to prevent a shutdown of state services after the state's budget cycle ends this Friday. The Senate also passed a higher education budget bill on a 41-19 vote, despite the concerns of State Sen. Twyla Ring and many other DFL senators that the bill will significantly raise the cost of tuition for Minnesota college students. ìI voted for both the ag/environment and the higher ed finance bills today, although I was not totally pleased with either,î Sen. Ring said on Monday. She noted that the ag/environment bill is a fairly decent compromise. ìI was pleased that funding was included to continue sustainable organic ag grants and to continue the cost-share grants to battle oak wilt.î The bill funds the Department of Agriculture and will keep food inspection services going. The bill also injects approximately $4 million of new money into programs to keep up efforts to help Minnesota hog and dairy farmers comply with new feedlot regulations. The bill also funds the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Department of Natural Resources and a number of other environmental agencies and boards. The bill finances new and ongoing initiatives, including $2 million for the Clean Water Partnership program, $7 million for cleanup of toxic contamination at the PigÇs Eye Dump site in St. Paul, and $16 million for fish and wildlife projects such as walleye stocking of lakes and rivers. ìDespite some misgivings about both the ag/environment and higher ed bills, I just couldnít be a part of the march to shutdown state government. There is simply too much at stake,î Ring said, adding, ìthereís always another year to pick up where we left off. But now itís time to move on. Itís time to complete the stateís business. Itís our desire to shutdown the special session, not the state. Itís time for House Republicans to finish their work.î The higher education bill increases funding to the University of Minnesota by $91 million à roughly one-third of the amount requested by the U of M at the start of the legislative session. The bill also dedicates $20 million in funds from the tobacco settlement for the Academic Health Center. MnSCU schools will receive $100 million. Senator Ring said the Senate has gone well over halfway in negotiations about funding for the U of M and MnSCU schools. ìWeíre agreeing to this bill, not because we like it, but because itís the best we can do given the prevailing view of higher education held by the Governor and the leadership in the House of Representatives.î She said, ìI feel frustrated at the level of funding we approved for the U of M, but at least it beats what the Governor and the House were willing to invest. But this still will mean double-digit tuition increases at the U of M and other colleges and universities. ìThis is a dirty deal, but better than no deal at all this year,î Ring noted. ìHowever, I fear the consequences in future years. In the end, I felt no choice but to agree on the compromise reached on the higher ed budget to avoid an immediate crisis.î ©Post Review