Policy bill goes to conference

The House soundly rejected an amendment that would have allowed alcohol sales exclusively in club seats at University of Minnesota sports venues before passing the omnibus higher education policy bill.

Sponsored by Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) and Sen. Sandy Pappas (DFL-St. Paul), HF3448/ SF184* contains a variety of proposed changes to laws affecting public and private colleges and universities. The House passed it 98-31. The Senate, which passed a different version 61-5 on April 26, refused to concur with the House changes. A conference committee has been called to work out the differences.

The bill would lower the amount of financial aid money available to students at private, for-profit colleges. To accomplish this, it would reduce the tuition and fee maximums used to calculate the amount of state grant program funds they are eligible to receive.

Selected other provisions include:

• directing the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to implement a pilot project where it would deposit some campuses’ cash reserves in local banks;

• increasing the amount of money available for Student Education Loan Fund (SELF) loan bonds from $10 million to $25 million per year;

• reinstating $1 million in funding for a high-school-to-college developmental transition program, also known as the “summer bridge” program;

• requiring MnSCU to implement a plan to improve its system of transferring credits between schools;

• increasing the amount of revenue bonds MnSCU can issue for capital projects; and

• directing MnSCU to streamline its central office and reduce expenditures.

Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) unsuccessfully offered an amendment that would have allowed the university to sell alcohol exclusively in premium seating areas in athletic venues. A 2009 law allowed the university to sell alcohol in sports facilities only if it was available to all attendees.

Kahn argued the law has harmed the university financially. Fearing the potential for underage alcohol abuse and student misbehavior, the university banned alcohol sales in all of its sports facilities, she said, costing it an estimated $1.3 million.

Opponents included Rukavina, who said allowing those in club seats to drink alcohol but not those in “common” seats would be discrimination.

“The U can sell alcohol wherever they want, they just have to serve it to everybody,” he said.

The amendment was defeated 111-18.