Wyoming News Exchange

UW wants second try on funding requests
 
By Daniel Bendtsen
Laramie Boomerang
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
LARAMIE — University of Wyoming trustees voted recently to have administrators make a second attempt at asking the Joint Appropriations Committee to budget for an increase in the university’s block grant as the legislative budget session is set to begin Feb. 10.
The trustees had asked for a $15 million annual increase to their block grant — money they said would be used to help hire College of Business professors to ensure its programs remain accredited, increase blockchain programming, boost the stature of the College of Agriculture, and pay for operations at the Science Initiative and Engineering Education and Research building.
Instead, legislators on the JAC voted to craft a budget bill that would give $175.2 million to UW for each of the next two years — just enough to continue the services already funded by the Legislature’s block grant. The only addition JAC added to UW’s block grant was about $419,000 in new positions for the State Vet Lab.
With no substantial increase to the university’s block grant, Trustee John McKinley said last week the university would be unable to provide the necessary programming for the Science Initiative building, which is scheduled to open in spring 2021.
“Recognizing that by the time the Science Initiative building is complete, we will need research projects and programs ready to hit the ground in that new building,” he said. “There were never written commitments in regard to the necessary funding for the programmatic side, but it was recognized that’s a substantial amount every year and this block grant (increase) gets us close.”
He said a stagnant budget would also prevent the university from rebuilding the College of Agriculture, which has lost about a quarter of its faculty since the budget cuts of 2016 — much to the ire of legislators.
The state’s biennial budget, including UW’s block grant, is typically crafted after JAC members meet with each of the state’s agencies. For UW, that was a seven-hour meeting in December.
After those meetings, JAC drafts a budget “mark-up” and might ask agencies for a “call-back” if they have more questions.
UW did have a call-back this month, which centered on a new funding request for the College of Law.
With Thursday’s vote, it appears administrators will ask JAC for a second call-back before the legislative session begins in 15 days to give legislators a new pitch: Provide $2.5 million for the Science Initiative and $2.3 million for the College of Agriculture annually.
The trustees will also ask Gordon to write two letters to JAC in support of that request.
While House members tend to be more liberal in their spending, they were quick to side with the House this month in striking a block grant increase for UW.
However, the new budget requests voted on by the trustees on Thursday are more in line with a request made in December by JAC co-chairman Rep. Bob Nicholas, R-Cheyenne.
“I think you notice a reticence from the Legislature to kick back ($15) million from the $40 million that was cut,” he said in December. “I think we need specifics and the benefits that will be derived and what you’ll use it for as opposed to just kind of a general ballpark, softball pitch — and what we’ll be missing if we don’t do it. … The better educated you can get us about what you’re going to do with those dollars, the more accurate and informed decision we can make.”
Another House member, Rep. Lloyd Larsen, R-Lander, expressed skepticism in December that it would be feasible to increase UW’s budget.
“When you reduced $40 million a couple years ago, that was largely due to the state’s position, and the state’s position hasn’t changed,” Larsen said. “There really hasn’t been anything to rectify our position to allow us to rectify (UW’s) position.”