While there were some who doubted they would meet the 6 p.m. May 5 deadline, the General Assembly completed its work on the FY2024 budget – with plenty of time to spare (about an hour). Next stop is the governor’s desk. Since most of the items in the completed budget were in the governor’s budget, we expect Gov. Mike Parson to sign the bill.
It’s a very positive budget for Missouri State University and all of Missouri higher education. I’m thankful for a governor who is pro higher education. It’s a part of his workforce agenda.
We also have a tremendous local coalition of Senate and House members – both Republican and Democrat – who not only work hard for Springfield, but also for higher education.
DEI update
Thankfully, the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language that was attached by the House to most of the budget bills was eliminated by the Senate budget committee, which is chaired by our own Sen. Lincoln Hough.
He stood firm on principle and guided the committee through a challenging process. He did masterful work in guiding the FY24 budget through the Senate and to the governor’s desk.
The DEI language was not reinstated during the budget conference process between the Senate and House.
Budget highlights
Here are the final details of the budget as they apply to Missouri State:
- A 7% core increase for all public colleges and universities.
- An additional 2% core increase to be distributed to public universities through the performance funding formula under development.
- A $2 million MoExcels grant for a construction education and training hub.
- An additional $17.5 million for the Center for Transformational Education for Life, Physical and Health Sciences.
- $75,000 for reimbursement of tuition reductions for veterans.
There’s one week left of the 2023 General Assembly. A lot can happen and very little can happen, depending on the dynamics. We’ll know more about DEI-related bills at the end of next week. I plan to cover that in the May 23 issue of Clif’s Notes.
Attend the Town Hall on May 12
A reminder there is a Town Hall scheduled from 1-3 p.m. May 12 to present the Academic and Enrollment Realignment outcomes. You can attend in person at the PSU Theatre or via Zoom. You can also review FAQs on the Academic Realignment website.
Enjoy President’s Extra Given Day
And finally, since July 4 falls on a Tuesday this year, I thought it would be a good idea to give everyone July 3 off, as well. It will officially be a President’s Extra Given Day. Enjoy the extra time. I appreciate everyone’s hard work.
Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.
Clif