SMSU name change passed by Senate
SMSU name change bill debate lasted nearly 14 hours.
Published Feb. 18, 2005
After some early morning counsel via e-mail from UM system President Elson Floyd, Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, ended his filibuster and allowed a Senate vote on the Southwest Missouri State University name-change bill.
The bill was perfected in the Senate at nearly 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. Debate, which began about 4:30 p.m. on Monday, lasted nearly 14 hours.
Graham conceded defeat after Floyd sent an e-mail in the early morning hours advising him to give up the filibuster and move on to other matters concerning higher education.
The bill was read for the third time and passed 25-7 on Wednesday. It has been sent to the House. If it passes, it will go to Gov. Matt Blunt.
During the debate Monday afternoon, the bill's sponsor, Sen. Norma Champion, R-Springfield, said a new name would more accurately portray the Springfield institution.
"SMS still has a ''''''''¹"Å"Â"Southwest' designation," Champion said. "This doesn't reflect what we are doing now."
Graham did not give up without adding measures to the bill that were designed to restrict the scope and funding of SMSU.
Under an amendment Graham offered, a newly renamed Missouri State University could not seek land grant or research designations the UM system holds, nor could it duplicate certain degree programs MU offers. The amendment also said the name change would not entitle the school to additional state funding.
The bill also includes other less controversial higher education name changes.
Missouri Western State College and Harris-Stowe State College would each receive the "university" distinction, and Missouri Southern State University-Joplin would lose its "Joplin" reference.
An amendment presented by Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, would allow the Board of Governors at Central Missouri State University to change the school's name to the University of Central Missouri.
A similar bill was sent to the House last year, where it died. Former Sen. Ken Jacob, D'''''''''Å"Â"Columbia, engineered a compromise that would have given the UM system a $190 million bond package.
The bill will be referred to the House Higher Education Committee. Chairman Gayle Kingery, R-Poplar Bluff, has supported the name change in the past.
Reggie McElhannon, legislative director for Champion, said he was optimistic about the bill's chances in the House.
"A lot of the things that might have been a concern for the House were brought up in the Senate discussion," McElhannon said.
Should the bill be sent to Blunt, a Springfield native, many expect him to sign the name change into law.