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Show . TheSaltLake Tribune UTAH Sunday, January 14, 2001 Al4 Lawmakers Optimistic Higher Ed Will Get Ample Piece of Budget Pie BYKIRSTEN STEWART THESALT LAKE TRIBUNE Utah lawmakerstold the Board of Regents on Friday they were optimistic that colleges and universities will walk away from the 2001. Legislature with an ample share of “This is a good year money wise, and there is good resolve {among lawmakers]for higher education.” state funding. Leonard Blackham The regents invited key legislators to their monthly meeting at Utah Valley State College in Orem Senate president to discuss funding priorities and prospects for the state’s nine pub- lic colleges and universities. The up with list of three to seven areas in which they specialize and excel to bring more clarity to the system’spriorities. “Let's not makeevery school the University of Utah,” he said, “I don’t know how manytimes I’ve Utah’s strong economy, budget surplus and Gov. Mike Leavitt's spending proposal. That plan calls for $102 million to fund a high-tech initiative and $71.7 million in new heard the concern that we're money for ongoing needs, a 12.6 percent increase over last year’s proposal. spreading ourselves too thin.” Hillyard said he also feels strongly about making college accessible to more young Utahns, including first-generation college But the stakes are high this year for higher education, which some university presidents have said is heading fora financialcrisis. Of central concern to the regents, who are seeking $62 million in new money, is the new funding, formulathey used to calculate this year’s budget request. Every January, regents ask the Legislature for an increase in higher education’s base funding, which in the past has beentied almost exclusively to enrollment growth. This year’s request takes into accountthe rising cost of educating existing students, increases in faculty and staff salaries and benefits, plus other factors. Regent Chairman Charlie Johnsonsaid the formula makes the budgeting process more predictable and manageable. Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, told regents that the higher educa- tion appropriations subcommittee is supportive of the funding formula and expressed hope thatthis will be a banneryear for education. Senate President Leonard Blackham, R-Moroni, agreed. “This is a good year money wise, andthere is good resolve [among lawmakers] for higher education,” hesaid. Funding to bring faculty and staff salaries up to market levels will bea top priority, Hillyard said. Hillyard also suggested that each college and university come Governor has already endorsed record $185 million budget request students and minorities. He con- rise over the next few years, Prison officials are seeking almost $20 million to purchase and Se ee ee ie a new state prison for women. BY FRANK CURRERI recognition. This opening signifies a growth in crime here in the state.” Thiswill beChabries’firstlegislativesession as director of Corrections. The 56-year-old former lobbyist for the Utah Chiefs of Police ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Nearly every month, Utah'sstate prison sys- tem shatters the same record andsets a hew one. Butno one is ready to brag aboutthe relentless assault on the record books, not when 5,777 state prisoners were behindbars as of Jan. 5 — an all-time high inmate populationthatstatis- ticianspredict will continueto climb. === board, which governs higher edu- cation, has been encouraged by (Corrections Set to Bring Wish List to Legislators Utah Departmentof Corrections officials estimate the business of housing and treating adult criminals will cost $185 million in fiscal 2002 — a $5 million jumpfrom this year’s tab. Gov. Mike Leavitt has already endorsed the Corrections budget request,butits ultimate fate rests with state legislators, who will convene Mondayto begin debating and deciding how to divvy taxpayer dollars among myriad competitors, Atthetop of the Corrections wishlist, legislators will consider a request for 907 additional beds for adult offenders. The bulk of those new spaces, 552, would be used for womenprisoners, whonowtotal 373. That numberis projected to ceded, however, that such issues are likely to take a back seat to otherpriorities. In other matters, higher education officials are uneasy aboutleg- and operate [7 the additional facility for its planned debutin six months. Tt is the one project appointed Corrections Executive Director Mike Chabries anticipates should Mike Chabries be a shoo-in, since legislators previously approved funds to build the $9.4 million mediumsecurity dormitory. Chabries [pronounced Sha-bry-is] helped cut the ribbon on the new dorm Thursday at Gunnison’s Central Utah Correctional Facility, the state’s second-largest prison population behind the Utah State Prison in Draper. Prisonofficials tried to temper the modestly festive atmosphere at the open house, which dozens of employees attended. “When you open a el‘it is not really a celebration,” said Scott Carver, Corrections director of Institutional Onenion. ‘Tt is a to work at county jails or police agencies. Leavitt is proposing a 6 percentpay increase for all state employees,a figure Chabries said is sufficient. Chabries’ top priority, however,is addressing the numbers crunch in Utah’s prison system. The Utah State Prison is about 95 percent full, butit is essential thatfacilities have atleast 5 percentof “wiggle room,” so prisoners can be moved around safely when necessary,said Cliff Butter, a state prison researcher and planner, GMC COMBINED LOOKS FROM THE DESIGN eee CAPABILITY FROM ENGINEERING, AFFORDABILITY FROM ACCOUNTING. islation that wouldestablish a new governance structure for Utah’s system of applied technology. House Bill 34, sponsored by House Speaker Marty Stephens, RFarr West, is the product of the summerlong workofa legislative task force charged with sorting out a complex, but lucrative, educational system. The bill would create a new committee called the Joint Applied Technology Education Council to oversee applied technology statewide and regional boardsin each of the state’s nine applied technology regions. Applied technology currently is overseen cooperatively by public and highereducation. Johnson says higher education officials are concerned the creation of a new board will create an unnecessary administrative layer. He is also opposed to the proposed makeupofthe new board, which he said is unfairly weighted with public education representatives. Biackham,chairman ofthe Applied Technology Task Force, said he would take the regents’ con- cerns into consideration but hopes no changes are madetothebill. 2001 2 TON EXT.CAB *500 CASH BACK* OR 4,9° Womenage45 to 60, post-menopausal,not currently using hormone replacement therapy,to test theeffects of an investigational oral medication on skin changes associated with aging(wrinkling, sagging, dryness). Study medication, Pap smear and laboratory workfree of charge. 48 week study with visits. Compensationwill be givento qualified participants. For more informationcall the Dermatology Research Center (801) 269-0135 weekdays. Leonard Swinyer, M.D,, Investigator. 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