Between debate on motorcycle helmets and proposed smoking bans, Nebraska lawmakers dealt with a number of university-related bills during their 90-day session that ended June 3.
“Overall, the session was very productive for the University of Nebraska and UNMC,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “The state general fund appropriation was the highest allocation in the past 15 years, due to the support of many senators and the governor who saw education, particularly higher education, as a high priority.”
Dr. Maurer praised the leadership of Gov. Dave Heineman and Sen. Don Pederson, chairman of the Appropriations Committee. “Through their efforts, we will be able to continue to advance our mission, particularly in terms of retaining and recruiting stellar faculty and staff,” he said.
Under the biennial budget signed into law by the governor, state appropriations for the university will increase by 7.4 percent in 2005-06 and 6.0 percent in 2006-07. Additionally, the legislature provided funding to increase the University’s contributions to employees’ retirement by 0.5 percent.
The Legislature also approved $12 million — a $2 million increase — in biomedical research funding to the state’s four biomedical research institutions — UNMC, Creighton University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Boys Town National Research Hospital.
“We appreciate the leadership of Sen. (Lowen) Kruse in boosting our biomedical research funds,” said Thomas Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research at UNMC. “We are pleased that lawmakers saw the merits of this increase and the tremendous return on investment of money now being allocated.”
Under the provisions of the 2001 Tobacco Settlement Biomedical Research Initiative (LB692), the state’s four biomedical research institutions will receive $12 million each of the next two years. UNMC receives about half of the $12 million that is distributed.
UNMC officials also were pleased that lawmakers did not advance from committee a “crippling” ban on stem cell research at the University of Nebraska. “Passage of this kind of legislation would send a devastating message to our researchers and to those we’re trying to recruit, particularly when instead of criminalizing this activity, other states are bolstering funding for this type of research and recruiting superstar scientists away from other institutions,” said Bob Bartee, executive assistant to the chancellor. “A great deal of credit goes to Sen. Pat Bourne, chair of the Judiciary Committee, for his fairness in dealing with this issue.”
Bartee said it was rewarding to see the cooperation between the governor’s office and the legislature in moving critical initiatives forward for the university.
UNMC received $430,000 to help the medical center deal with increases in malpractice insurance costs for its residents. “We’re thankful the legislature recognized this need,” Bartee said.
Two initiatives are poised for discussion next year. LB605 would provide revenue bonding to support the renovation of buildings at UNMC, as well as the other University of Nebraska campuses. LB47 would establish a university wide distinguished professorship fund to be matched by the University of Nebraska Foundation. Both bills moved out of committee this year and are in general file.
During this session, state lawmakers recognized the workforce shortage in nursing and passed a scholarship bill for nurses who want to pursue teaching. The bill provides assistance to nurses who are pursuing their Ph.D. to teach and train at the college level. In a separate bill, lawmakers also granted more independence to advanced nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists.
Lawmakers also approved a measure to grant UNMC an additional $2 million from the state health care cash fund to support a bioterrorism research floor in the Research Center of Excellence II, which will be built next to the Durham Research Center. As a result, $4 million out of the approved $6 million, has been allocated from the health care cash fund. Another $6 million has been approved from receipt of federal biosecurity funding.
Watch UNMC Today for information on upcoming employee forums, which will address salaries and other legislative issues.