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State Representative David Dill
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-2190
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
Column/LTE
Working to protect VCC
Dear Editor,
Earlier this month, I voted against the Higher Education Omnibus Finance Bill. This legislation is not good for Vermilion Community College. First of all, the bill provides inadequate funding for VCC, which will result in tuition increases in 06-07 as high as 4%-9% each year. In 2002, VCC saw a tuition increase of 12.83%, followed by 10.65 % in FY03, 15% in FY04 and 15% again in FY05. These rising tuition costs are putting higher education out of reach for many students and their families in NE Minnesota and across the state. To support a funding plan that would result in more double-digit tuition increases would be just irresponsible.
Secondly, the higher education bill does not fairly compensate MnSCU schools for enrollment adjustments. These enrollment-based increases in funding were once guaranteed. In this bill the state growth component is repealed altogether. Consequently, when tuition student’s pay goes up at VCC, the school will have to operate and educate students with only partial reimbursement as the state provided component will be non-existent. This bill punishes VCC for growing. Voting for a bill with these two provisions included in it just wouldn’t be good for the college, our state or our northern communities.
Beyond the college issues, the higher education bill left the House floor with an amendment on it that I authored and passed overwhelmingly on the House floor that provided $250,000 of one-time money to drill mining core samples at the Tower/Soudan mine from the present 2400 ft. level to 8000 ft. The money was to be appropriated from the University of Minnesota Permanent University Trust Fund (PUF), which originates from mining, logging and land lease proceeds on university trust lands. Trust lands are located and common across the Iron Range. These important core samples would have been used to compete for a National Science Foundation Deep Underground Science Laboratory (DUSEL) at the Soudan site. Somewhere along the legislative journey, likely in the Senate/House Conference Committee the funding for the project was cut. Today Senator Bakk and I are fighting to get the provision back onto the radar of the Environment and Natural Resources Conference Committee which each of us serves on. Should the Soudan site be awarded the DUSEL project the area would benefit from hundreds of skilled construction jobs and then the potential of bringing 150-200 scientists and high-tech support positions to our communities. Clearly this project could be one of the biggest projects in this area in years.
Now I ask you, why would I vote for a bill that would lead to more double-digit tuition increases, doesn't reimburse colleges when their enrollment goes up and cuts a project that would jump-start our economy, bringing highly coveted good paying jobs that are outside the traditional logging, mining and tourism job sectors?
Since elected I have supported legislation that will actually be good for our schools, such as the state bonding bill which gave VCC a share in the $6.668 million in the MnSCU Science Initiative Funds, and it’s part of $41.5 million that was designated for Higher Ed Asset Preservation (HEPRA). Senator Bakk and I also passed legislation that provided state bonding funds to purchase real estate adjacent to the college for the expansion of student housing.
VCC is a valued asset, a unique educational institution that needs to be fully funded and supported. Our students and our community deserve a better bill.
If you have questions please contact me this summer at home, 218-993-2252 or by email at rep.david.dill@house.mn.
Best regards,
David Dill
State Rep. District 6A
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