University of Colorado
Student Union
Legislative Council
July 1st, 2004 60LCR#2 TABOR Initiative
Sponsored by: Joseph Neguse Tri-Executive
Veronica Crespin Tri-Executive
Eugene Pearson Legislative President
Stephen Fenberg Second Vice- President
Naomi Lopez A & S Senator
Arrah Closson First
Vice-President
Jason
Reid Representative
Jerod
Beatty Graduate School Senator
David
Roth Engineering
Senator
Adam
Wolach Music
School Senator
Jessica
Bralish Journalism
Senator
Meg
Rapp Arch.
& Planning Senator
Laura
Reinsch Representative
Travis
Fawcett Representative
Authored by: Joseph Neguse Tri-Executive
Ageno Otii Chief of Staff
A Resolution
Resolution History
The University of Colorado at
Boulder is at a crossroads in regards to its future as a public institution of
higher education in the state of Colorado. Because of a significant lack of
state funding in the past several years, the University has been deemed an
enterprise (approved through Colorado State Senate Bill #252), and thus is
receiving less than 10% of its funding from the state. To ensure that the
University of Colorado remains a public system of higher education, we must
receive proper state funding for our general fund budget. Different constitutional
amendments, primarily TABOR, have created a cash-strapping device that the
State has been forced to accommodate to, and this has created dire consequences
for many state services, specifically higher education. Thus to recapture lost
funds for the state, in an effort to increase funding for higher education to
its previous levels, we must assist the citizens of this state in the passage
of a constitutional change to TABOR and Amendment 23. The Campaign for
Colorado, headed by the Bell Policy Center, is currently working to get Ballot
Initiative #126 and #137 on the State Ballot for fall 2004. We must support
their initiative and pledge our resources to assist them in their campaign,
should the item(s) be placed on the ballot in the fall of 2004.
Resolution Summary
WHEREAS; The University of Colorado receives less than 10% of its funding from the state, and;
WHEREAS; because of a lack of state funding, the University has been mandated as an enterprise in the State of Colorado, which is a significant step towards privatization, and;
WHEREAS; if CU does not receive appropriate levels of funding in the next fiscal year, the University will continue to be deemed an enterprise, and will look at generating more tuition and fee dollars to absorb the lost funds, and;
WHEREAS; because TABOR and Amendment 23 have placed
spending limits on the state government, rendering the State unable to fund
state services at proper levels, and;
WHEREAS; stated in “60LCR#1 State Funding”: “the last ten-year period of State budget allocations for higher education and other state agencies, which are dramatically affected by various legislation, including TABOR, Gallagher, and Amendment 23, indicate that there may not be enough General Fund revenues for higher education within the next 5 years”, and;
WHEREAS; re-structuring TABOR and Amendment 23 through a
constitutional change will in effect generate more funds for the State, which
may be re-allocated to higher education, and;
WHEREAS; receiving more state funding, and thus keeping tuition low in an effort to ensure accessibility is the student representatives (UCSU) primary goal, and;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislative Council of the University of Colorado Student Union, THAT,
SECTION
1: The students of the
University of Colorado at Boulder support
the Citizen Leadership to Resolve
Colorado’s Budget Crisis.
SECTION
2: The students of the
University of Colorado at Boulder support
the Campaign for Colorado’s Ballot
Initiatives, specifically Ballot Item #126 and Ballot Item $137, which
structurally adjust TABOR and Amendment 23, which are proposed for the Colorado
State general election November 2nd, 2004
SECTION
3: The students of the
University of Colorado at Boulder support the Campaign for Colorado’s Statement of
Resolution, attached to this Resolution as Appendix A.
SECTION 4: The students of the University of Colorado at Boulder pledge to support the initiatives should they be placed on the ballot, and shall mandate this support in bill form as well as implementing this directive for the Legislative Affairs Commission.
SECTION 5: This resolution will be sent to the Regents of the University of Colorado, CU-System President Elizabeth Hoffman, CU-Boulder Chancellor Richard Byyny, Governor Bill Owens, and the legislators of the state of Colorado, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and any other parties requesting said resolution.
SECTION
6: This resolution
takes effect special order upon passage by Legislative Council and upon obtaining
the signatures of the Council President and Tri-Executives.
7/15/04 Passed 2nd Reading 7-0-2
____________________________________ ______________________________
Eugene
Pearson, Legislative Council President Joseph
Neguse, UCSU Tri-executive
_____________________________________ ________________________________
Veronica
Crespin, UCSU Tri-executive Garrett
Stanton, UCSU Tri-executive