SMSU bill slated for debate today
Published Feb. 22, 2005
Several members of the General Assembly said the Southwest Missouri State University name-change bill's chances look good after it entered the House last week.
The bill was referred to the House Higher Education Committee after it passed in the Senate last week. A hearing on the bill will be conducted today at noon.
Rep. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville, is the vice chairman of the House Higher Education Committee.
"I think it should have a pretty warm reception," Rupp said. "There's some provisions in the bill that deal with some of the concerns from last year."
Rupp, who said he supports the name change, said his predictions were based on informal talks with other legislators.
"I think it's a good thing for the state," Rupp said.
The House Higher Education Committee has one member from Springfield, Republican Charles Denison. The committee has no members from Columbia.
House Minority Leader Jeff Harris, D-Columbia, said he still opposes the bill despite the overnight compromise reached in the Senate last week.
"As a taxpayer, I wish that the governor and his staff, if they're going to stay up for all hours of the morning, that they would try to make higher education more affordable and more accessible instead of twisting arms and working on back-room deals for one campus," Harris said. "I know what's in the bill and I still oppose it."
Rep. Brian Yates, R-Lee's Summit, is an MU alumnus and was one of the bill's strongest opponents last year when the bill died in the House.
"I'm still going to oppose it, but it won't be as fierce as it was last year," Yates said. Missouri State University "was the name of the University of Missouri for so many years. It is a shame that we're giving away that name."
Despite his opposition, Yates said he thinks the bill might pass.
"I feel it probably has a very strong chance of passing with the limitations that are currently on it," Yates said.
Yates said this year's version of the bill is better than last year's because of those limitations.
The bill stipulates SMSU would not be granted any additional funding as a direct result of the name change. It also states the Springfield university cannot duplicate any degree programs in the UM system, or seek the research and land-grant designations MU enjoys.
Yates said the bill is more likely to pass in part because of newly elected Republican representatives.
"It's very difficult for Republicans to oppose the bill when the governor supports it," Yates said. "The governor wields much more power with freshmen lawmakers."
Yates said the funding issue will be important in the future, and he said he does not want to see the UM system lose funding because of the name change.
"It will always be the duty of legislators that follow the University of Missouri to make sure that in the future ... there is not a large appropriation just because of the name change," Yates said. "I do not want to create a second tier of education in the state with another statewide system."