| NEWS
| July 14, 2005
Legislature
Building funds approved by House
The funding bill, which provides
funds for a new engineering building, awaits Senate approval.
By Megan
Wright
The Shorthorn Staff
The Texas House of Representatives approved
a UTA funding request, putting the university one step closer to
getting a new engineering building and renovating three others buildings
in the department.
House Bill 6, which covers tuition revenue bonds for funding the
construction, passed in the House on Tuesday. The request then moved
to the Senate where it is known as Senate Bill 80. The Senate must
approve this bill for the university’s request to be approved,
which would give $76 million to UTA for the construction.
President James Spaniolo, Engineering Dean Bill Carroll and Governmental
Relations Director Kate Kettles waited Wednesday in the Capitol
for word on the bill’s progress. They were also there to testify
if the legislators had questions about the UTA request.
“We’ve met with several lawmakers during the committee
hearing,” Kettles said. “We don’t expect to testify.”
Spaniolo said Dr. Carroll, Kettles and himself had hoped to be back
in Arlington on Wednesday night, but they would not leave until
the finance committee adjourns. He said he expects to be back at
UTA today.
Kettles said the Senate’s Finance Committee has to approve
the bill first before it moves to the Senate floor for a vote. If
the Senate passes its version of the bill, then Kettles said a conference
committee, made up of lawmakers from both the House and the Senate,
would “iron out the differences” between House Bill
6 and Senate Bill 80.
Kettles said both versions of the bill would give $76 million to
the university. She said the Senate reduced the requested amounts
for most of the other schools, but so far the amount has not been
decreased for UTA. However, Kettles said this could change before
it is passed.
“The Senate can do anything they want to do,” she said.
Kettles said the whole process will probably only last a few more
days because the special session ends on Wednesday.
Gov. Rick Perry called the special session in June to discuss school
finance decisions that weren’t completed during the Legislature’s
regular session. Once the school finance issue neared an end, Perry
opened the session to other unresolved topics such as tuition revenue
bonds and judicial pay raises.
All decisions must be made by the end of the session, or Kettles
said the bill will be dead.
Kettles said she isn’t scared of that possibility at the moment.
“But I wasn’t scared last time [the bill didn’t
pass], either,” she said.
The bill would provide for renovations of three engineering buildings
and the construction of another to accommodate the growing department.
Engineering Associate Dean John Patterson said the College of Engineering
wouldn’t have many options if the bill doesn’t pass.
“If you don’t have the space, you don’t have the
space,” Patterson said. “It certainly would severely
limit our growth if not prevent it.”
Spaniolo said he feels “encouraged” that the bill will
pass this time.
“Well, we are hopeful,” Spaniolo said. “We’re
hopeful that ultimately there will be a bill passed that fully funds
a new engineering building.”
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