Community College Veto Meeting

For Immediate Release
Thursday, July 26, 2007

Austin, TX - On Tuesday, July 24th, Representative Mike O’Day (Pearland) and the President of Alvin Community College (ACC) Dr. Rodney Allbright along with several representatives from ACC met with Wayne Roberts, Senior Advisor to the Governor for Budget, Planning and Policy, and David Young, head of Higher Education for the Governor, to discuss Governor Perry’s veto of community college funding for employee healthcare in 2008- 2009.

For District 29 and the surrounding area, this veto represents a cut of approximately $1.5 million for ACC, $1.37 million for Brazosport College, and $1.8 million for Wharton County Junior College. Representative O’Day was greatly disappointed to see that these schools will not receive this funding for the next biennium; he feels strongly that in order for these colleges to continue to thrive, they must be able to provide the best possible education to their students and future skilled workers in the community.

“It is imperative that we continue to support our local college instructors and staff without having to raise property taxes and tuition rates to cover the employee costs that were previously paid for by the state.”

Governor Perry has stated that Community College education is high on his priority list; however, the Governor's staff and Texas Community Colleges have conflicting views over the proper method for filling out these funding request forms.

Communication received by Representative O’Day’s office reveals that legislators are looking for other ways to restore the $154 million vetoed by Governor Perry. Lt. Governor David Dewhurst has proposed a meeting of legislative budget leaders to restore cut funding for community colleges and Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, Chair of Appropriations subcommittee on Education, has stated that the committee is researching several scenarios that will alleviate the effects of the veto and can be implemented by the Legislative Budget Board.

Representative O’Day regrets this outcome for community colleges in both District 29 and the state. He and his staff, in collaboration with ACC, will continue to work diligently to reach a solution that will be acceptable to the people of Brazoria and Matagorda Counties.

Vince Sudela
Chief of Staff for District 29
Representative Mike O'Day
(512)463-0707 (office)

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