Senate Republicans want veto power over CSCU salaries after chancellor is ousted

Yahoo

01-05-2025

CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — The controversy surrounding Terrence Cheng, the outgoing head of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), system spilled onto the floor of the State Senate on Wednesday afternoon when Senate Minority Leader Steve Harding introduced a measure that would give the state legislature veto power over salaries exceeding $400,000 at CSCU.
CSCU chancellor will transition into new role, Board of Regents says
'We believe that the taxpayer money is sacred,' Harding said. 'The tuition money is sacred. It should be used in an efficient and effective manner. And using it in the manner that Chancellor Cheng did is unacceptable. And what the board of regents did is basically is hand him a $440,000 a year salary on the taxpayer dime.'
The measure came in reaction to the news that Cheng would continue to receive his $442,000 salary for the next year, even after he steps down from the top job at CSCU in July. The board that oversees CSCU declined to renew Cheng's contract for another term but said on Monday that he would continue to stay on the state payroll as an advisor to the system.
He has been the subject of widespread criticism since last year, when a report published by CT Insider revealed he charged tens of thousands of dollars worth of meals, alcohol and private car services to his state credit card.
Gov. Ned Lamont said that Cheng still has a year left on his current contract and he is obligated to receive his base salary through that period. Rob Blanchard, the governor's chief spokesman, responded to Harding's criticism saying in part, 'As Sen. Harding ought to know, only the [CSCU board] has the power to negotiate the chancellor's contract.'
Blanchard's statement continued, 'Moreso, he claims to be focused on issues impacting taxpayers, yet he has continuously ignored addressing costly tariffs and federal cuts to public health, libraries and social services that residents on Main Street are felling.'
Harding's measure was shot down by a party line vote, with majority Democrats in opposition. State Sen. Derek Slap, the top senator on the legislative committee that oversees higher education, called Harding's move a 'gimmick' and said lawmakers should instead focus on passing a separate piece of legislation that addresses the type of spending practices Cheng and other CSCU officials engaged in.
'We do have a real way to ensure that taxpayer money is better spent when it comes to higher education,' Slap said. 'There is a bill, bipartisan, that passed through the Higher Education Committee — better transparency, better accountability, tackling exactly the type of thing that we saw with Chancellor Cheng. So, let's do that. That's real. This amendment is just a gimmick.'
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