RELEASE DATE: July 11, 2006
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Equipment funds for community colleges bill on the table
RALEIGH – Legislation designed to provide essential equipment funds for community colleges has hit a snag in the General Assembly, but lawmakers are committed to getting the bill through the legislature. Ideas designed to clear opposition have been proposed.
The bill was placed on the House Appropriations Committee calendar Monday. The measure was debated but was pulled before a vote was taken. Supporters are hopeful the measure will be heard and passed before the session ends.
House Bill 1991 would earmark taxes collected on lottery winnings for community college instructional equipment and represents the only significant amount lottery dollars that would go to the community colleges. (A very small percentage of scholarship funding has been earmarked from the lottery for community colleges.) Representatives Doug Yongue (D-Scotland), Joe Tolson (D-Edgecombe), and Maggie Jeffus (D-Guilford) along with several other members sponsored the bill that would have funds transferred to the State Board of Community Colleges’ Equipment Reserve Fund.
The original bill calls for 7% of taxes to be withheld from the winnings and for all of those funds to be transferred to community colleges at the end of each quarter. One suggestion offered would limit the funds transferred to $20 million each year.
Rep. Tolson says this bill continues the education focus of the lottery. “This is the ‘Education Lottery,’ ” he said. “This measure will send the taxes generated from lottery proceeds straight to community colleges and provide information technology and distance learning resources for students.”
“I think it’s a win-win situation for everyone,” said Rep. Jeffus. “I’ve heard nothing but positive comments. People seem to understand and like the concept. It is something that is very much needed. If we are serious about retraining and helping the people who have lost their jobs, we need to provide the latest and best instructional equipment for students. That takes money, lots of it.”
The bill has bipartisan support. Rep. Louis Pate (R-Wayne) opposed the lottery, but feels this bill works. He asked, “What better use of the tax dollars is there than to help ease the equipment backlog for community colleges?”
The same holds true for Rep. Julia Howard (R-Davie). “I couldn’t support the lottery bill,” she said. “It is the law and it generates taxes. This would guarantee that those dollars go towards an education need.”
The need is severe. Community colleges have been in the hole for decades. The System Office shows more than a $220 million dollar documented equipment funding need. The funds would be allocated by FTE and would provide important resources in several instructional areas for market-driven programs. It would also assist in curtailing waiting lists for programs like nursing, radiology, and other bedside health care delivery programs. They are also programs that require significant hands-on training and expensive instructional equipment.
“There are 7,500 vacant jobs in North Carolina hospitals,” said Hugh Tilson of the North Carolina Hospital Association. “This funding would help ease the deficit and fill jobs with North Carolinians across the state. We rely on the community colleges to train workers and these funds will help the colleges do an even better job of assisting their employer partners across the state.”
“This legislation would provide a recurring source of equipment dollars,” said Dr. Gary Green, president of Forsyth Technical Community College. “Our community colleges have tremendous equipment needs that would enable us to provide state-of-the-art service to our students.”
“North Carolina’s community colleges are a tremendous asset, but they need modern equipment to educate and train the workforce of the future,” said Sen. Walter Dalton (D-Rutherford), a sponsor of the bill in the Senate. “This bill will provide the necessary funds to improve the community college mission.”
Rep. Harold Brubaker (R-Randolph) sees this as a way to help the state and specifically the community colleges in his district. “I am acutely aware of the great service community colleges provide,” he said. “This gives us a chance to do something that will help them and make a significant difference for the state.”
“This is a good stream of funding for community colleges,” said Rep. Yongue. “Every year they make a large request which we have been unable to address due to budget problems. This year the education leadership wanted to address this serious need to train North Carolina workers and students across the state. This will help health care facilities in rural and urban areas. We need cutting-edge technology to compete in a global economy.”
Rep. Linda Johnson (R-Cabarrus) is a software analyst and tax accountant by trade. She says she understands and recognizes when a bill creates beneficial financial flow. “This legislation creates a positive situation by guaranteeing the tax revenue from the ‘Education Lottery’ would lead to valuable educational resources for our community college students.”
It is unsure when House Appropriations will convene. Bill sponsors and supporters will be ready when it does.
-NCCCS-
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