Latest news with #StateBuildingCommission
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Leaders work on rules to allow firearms in state facilities
CHEYENNE — Officials are getting closer to approving streamlined rules allowing members of the public to carry concealed firearms in state-owned public buildings by a July 1 deadline. In late February, after nearly a decade of trying to pass legislation to repeal the state's gun-free zones, lawmakers passed Enrolled Act 24, 'Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act.' The new law, which will go into effect this summer, repeals gun-free zones at public schools, community colleges, the University of Wyoming and state-owned government buildings. Gov. Mark Gordon let the new law go into effect without his signature, calling it a 'legislative power grab.' The State Building Commission must promulgate rules around firearms in public buildings to match state statute, and in early April, had a wide-ranging discussion on amending rules that covered not only firearms, but also public demonstrations at the Capitol. On Thursday, leaders shifted to a more targeted approach. 'Our direction was simply to reflect as simply as possible the legislation that passed' repealing Wyoming's gun-free zones, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder told her colleagues on the SBC of the latest rule draft. 'There is nothing in the rules that covers those other things discussed, as pertaining to surety bonds or public gatherings,' Degenfelder said. 'We simply looked at how we include the codified language into our rules.' The commission, which includes Degenfelder, Gordon, Secretary of State Chuck Gray, State Auditor Kristi Racines and State Treasurer Curt Meier, must pass rules to govern firearm carry provisions in the public spaces, implementing the new state law, before the new state statutes become effective July 1. 'I think (the rules) do an excellent job following the enrolled act,' Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, told the commission Thursday via Zoom. In January, the executive branch adopted similar amended rules that applied only to the Capitol and the Capitol Complex in Cheyenne. The new rules will apply to all buildings owned by the state of Wyoming. 'These rules will apply much more broadly,' Racines said Thursday. The rules will not apply to facilities exempted under statute, or buildings the state leases under general services' leasing authority. It also excludes spaces in publicly owned buildings that are subject to a lease to a private party. Rules must be in place by July, and while the board discussed embarking on an emergency rulemaking process to meet that timeline, only Gray advocated for an expedited process. Instead, the commission voted to start the regular rulemaking with an additional meeting planned for June, if necessary, to meet the July deadline. 'Today, I do not believe we meet the threshold to pass emergency rules,' Racines said. Gray referenced what he called a 'fear of firearms' in 'letters from the Governor's office' and said that he would prefer to start the emergency rulemaking process immediately. 'I am a little bit concerned, because we do have a bill that is going into effect as the law of the land on July 1,' Gray said. 'I think it would be better to start this process now.' Gordon responded that, 'From my standpoint, we have carry here (in the Capitol), and it is great we are going to expand that.' 'I want to assure people there is no attempt to try to roll back or walk away from what we have here,' Gordon said. Leases and insurance rates Leaders discussed how to handle facilities that are privately owned, but leased by state agencies, and whether the new rules should stipulate that lease negotiations prioritize carrying of firearms. 'When you have a lease, what is (the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information) going to do to try and negotiate carry into the buildings?' Gray asked. 'I think that A&I should be asked as a default, as a first method, to try to negotiate that.' Racines responded that lease negotiations could be handled under A&I leasing rules, rather than proposed SBC rule changes. Acknowledging private property rights, the commissioners discussed the possibility that building owners who enter into state leases may not want to allow firearms into their facilities, because such a practice could mean rising insurance costs. Gray argued the new law will actually make those facilities safer. 'Removing these gun-free zones and allowing for carry protects these areas,' he said. 'I still see a lot of (people) struggling with this concept, but it should lower our liability. 'This increases safety, and while it might not fit this CNN-style worldview that schools across our country have tried to build, the research shows that this increases safety,' Gray said. 'If it did increase insurance rates, I think that is something A&I would need to move forward to the insurance commissioner because I think it would be consistent with predatory behavior.'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Building Commission split and won't recommend Evers' capital projects proposal
Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) said she thought there were 'worthy' projects in the proposal but criticized the $3.85 billion in bonding to pay for the projects. Gov. Tony Evers delivers his seventh State of the State address while standing in front of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Felzkowski. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner The State Building Commission is not recommending Gov. Tony Evers' $4.1 billion capital projects proposal to the budget committee after Republican lawmakers voted against doing so saying that it wasn't realistic and wasn't created in a bipartisan manner. The State Building Commission is made up of eight members including Evers, four Republican lawmakers, two Democratic lawmakers and one citizen member appointed to the body by Evers. The votes on each section of the capital projects budget was split down the middle, with Republicans all opposed. The outcome was expected as Republicans have said they plan to create their own proposal. Evers' proposal includes nearly $1.6 billion in projects for the University of Wisconsin System, $634 million to the Department of Corrections, $195 million for health facilities, $170 million for Department of Veterans Affairs' projects, $164 million in projects requested for the Department of Natural Resources and investments in other areas. Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) said she thought there were 'worthy' projects in the proposal but criticized the $3.85 billion in bonding to pay for the projects. 'This is more new bonding in this capital budget than the last five capital budgets combined, and I think to get to a more appropriate level, further discussion is needed,' Felzkowski said. 'We need to hear from stakeholders and the public and that just hasn't happened.' Sen. Andre Jacque (R-New Franken) said that he thinks lawmakers and Evers will be able to find some agreement, but argued that 'shoehorning' money at the moment for projects will 'limit the ability to have some of those discussions, or in some cases might prejudice the [Joint Finance] Committee against whatever we might do here.' Evers' ambitious proposal for reforming the state's prisons would include infrastructure upgrades and capital improvements to Waupun Correctional Institution, Lincoln Hills School, Stanley Correctional Institution, Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center and John C. Burke Correctional Center. The projects are planned to be carried out one after the other and culminate in the closing of the Green Bay Correctional Institution. Felzkowski said she was 'very saddened' about the corrections proposal and called it a 'missed opportunity' for a bipartisan solution. 'There's quite a few of us in this Legislature who have worked diligently for corrections reform, and so much of the DOC capital budget rests on the changes to policy around corrections reform,' Felzkowski told Evers. Republican lawmakers have expressed opposition to proposals in the corrections budget that would increase early release. 'We could have been brought in earlier to discuss the changes or even when you had brought in a consultant around corrections, I would have loved to have been able to work with them and to help bring my side of the aisle into the reform process,' Felzkowski said. The Joint Finance Committee, which is responsible for writing the budget, will kick off its work next week with briefings from the University of Wisconsin System and the Department of Corrections. Public listening sessions will then take place starting next week with lawmakers traveling to Kaukauna on April 2 and West Allis on April 4. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee State requests to use $154M in building funds for operations
Main gates at Tennessee State University in Nashville. (Photo: John Partipilo) Tennessee State University officials are asking the State Building Commission to let them shift $154 million to daily campus operations after the funds were originally approved for building projects. The university's interim President Dwayne Tucker told the State Building Commission Wednesday that TSU's five-year 'sustainability plan' calls for reducing scholarships and trimming employee expenses by up to $17 million. TSU wants to 'reset the culture' and prove it can be more 'transparent,' Tucker told the commission. The university doesn't need another cash injection to make it through May, Tucker said, after state officials authorized a $43 million infusion into its operating budget last November to make payroll and prop it up for the rest of the year. But to keep TSU running, university officials are requesting approval to use $154 million remaining from a $250 million campus improvements grant. In addition, a university consultant said TSU could request nearly $300 million in capital funding after a land grant university funding study committee determined the state shorted TSU by $544 million over the course of a century. 'At some point, it has to be put in a budget,' Tucker said, though he wasn't asking for approval Wednesday. He added later that the university isn't 'expecting the full enchilada to be served' without meeting some performance goals. A subsequent federal study showed TSU was shorted by $2.1 billion over some 30 years, but Tucker didn't mention that figure Wednesday. To bolster TSU's financial situation, Tucker also said he plans to announce a $100 million fundraising drive for the next two years. The State Building Commission took no action Wednesday on TSU's request or its financial plan. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a member of the Building Commission, suggested the university consider changing its tuition rates to expedite a financial turnaround. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, chairman of the commission, said in a statement afterward the TSU turnaround plan is a good starting point but declined to commit to supporting the funding requests. 'While some of the expectations about what TSU is owed by the state need to be right-sized, I believe the legislature has found a reliable partner in President Tucker. While there are still hurdles to clear and a long way to go, I am more optimistic that better days are ahead for TSU than I have been in quite some time,' McNally said. TSU was forced to make a last-minute request of the Building Commission three years ago to house students in hotels and a nearby church, which led to Senate hearings and a move to vacate the Board of Trustees and push former President Glenda Glover out of office. The university ran into financial trouble after starting an aggressive scholarship program on the heels of the COVID pandemic when large numbers of students wanted to attend a historically Black university. TSU used $37 million from a federal grant to pay for scholarships when enrollment jumped to 8,026 in fall 2022 before it fell back to 7,254 in fall 2023. Once federal funds ran out, the university had to find other sources, such as $19.6 million in tornado insurance money. The university hit dire straits because of the increased cost of serving more students without enough revenue to balance increased expenses. TSU is honoring the scholarships for students who remained enrolled at the university but is trimming scholarships over the next five years as part of its new operating plan. Building Commission members were upset last fall when they found out the interim president before Tucker signed two $800,000 consulting contracts with Glover. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
19-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
Tennessee State University's turnaround plan calls for more cost-cutting, layoffs
Tennessee State University on Wednesday unveiled a financial recovery plan that would call for up to $37 million in additional cost-cutting, including more layoffs. Why it matters: Interim president Dwayne Tucker told a state panel that those cuts would help put the historically Black college on solid footing after many years of financial tumult. The panel was broadly supportive. Catch up quick: TSU nearly ran out of money last year, and the state had to provide millions in emergency funding to keep the doors open. The State Building Commission, which includes top lawmakers and other leaders, pressed the university to take drastic action to shore up long-term finances. Zoom in: The SBC's meetings with TSU have been tense for months. Commission members have blasted former leaders and recommended major land sales to make ends meet. Wednesday's meeting might have marked a turning point. There were no such demands, and members praised Tucker for the work he's done since taking charge in December. The latest: In the meeting, Tucker and his team presented his five-year turnaround plan, which includes capping scholarships for incoming students, restructuring faculty workloads to improve productivity, and making up to $13 million in staff cuts. "Lives will be impacted from this," financial consultant Jim Grady said. Zoom out: Tucker also wants lawmakers to reclassify a large pot of capital funding meant for maintenance and construction so that TSU can instead use that money for day-to-day operating expenses. Flashback: In 2022, the state gave TSU $250 million for capital projects in recognition of historic underfunding. More than $154 million of that total remains unspent. Tucker and his team said shifting the remainder toward operating costs would help keep the lights on while TSU steadies itself. What's next: House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who serves on the commission, indicated he would be willing to support that change in the legislature as long as TSU agreed to hit progress benchmarks as school officials tapped into those funds. The big picture: Once TSU has regained financial stability, Tucker's long-term plan would include revisiting the underfunding conversation. A state analysis found TSU had been underfunded up to $544 million for food and agriculture research. TSU leaders said that after the initial infusion of $250 million in 2022, an additional $294 million could help bring the university to new heights. What they're saying: Tennessee comptroller Jason Mumpower, who has previously criticized TSU leadership, was complimentary after Tucker's presentation. "I have great appreciation for the work you've done in the short time you've been there," Mumpower told Tucker. "It's remarkable what can happen when competent leadership is finally in place." Go deeper TSU board taps new interim president, says predecessor insulted students Inside Tennessee State University's comeback effort
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tennessee State University leaders propose further staff cuts, repurposing state funds
Tennessee State University President Dwayne Tucker presented a five-year financial plan to top state leaders Wednesday as he continues an effort to steer the university out of dire financial circumstances. The historically Black, public university in Nashville will face a financial shortfall as early as May, according to Tucker, who took over as interim president in December after a year of major leadership upheavals, layoffs and budget cuts at TSU. Tucker and the university's financial consultant presented the plan, dubbed "a bridge to sustainability," to the State Building Commission. It includes plans to reduce TSU's budget deficit by $32-37 million over the next two fiscal years through further staff cuts, scholarship caps, hiring freezes and other cost reductions. It also includes a request to revise a law to let TSU expand how it uses the remainder of $250 million the state appropriated in 2023 for infrastructure projects at the school. If approved, the remaining $154.5 million in that fund would support TSU over the next five years as it works to regain financial stability. "We believe this allows TSU the stability to get back on our feet financially," Jim Grady, a financial consultant from Alvarez & Marsal, told the commission. "It also allows us the opportunity for all our stakeholders to keep us honest about what we're doing." Grady also told the commission, which includes high-ranking Republicans like Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Comptroller Jason Mumpower, that a large draw on TSU's budget is due to honoring a flurry of scholarships promised to incoming students by previous TSU leaders. That will cost a total of $18-20 million in the years to come as those students complete their degrees. "We intend to keep the promise that we made to students," Grady said. However, Grady and Tucker explained that TSU will rein in scholarships for future classes, starting with incoming freshman in fall 2025. The university will cap scholarships at 20% of the gross tuition and fee revenue generated by new freshmen. Other parts of the plan to cut up to $37 million from TSU's budget include reductions in non-instructional staff that would save $6-7 million and instructional staff cuts that would account for another $5-6 million. An additional $3-4 million would come from cost reductions in areas like maintenance, security and other general operating costs. "There are some hard decisions that need to be made," Grady said. Tucker, a longtime businessman, temporarily stepped away from his role as the CEO of LEAD Public Schools, a network of charter schools, to lead TSU. He also resigned his post on the TSU board, where he had served since April. His term runs until June 30. The TSU board plans to relaunched its search for a permanent president this year, with the goal of appointing a new leader who would start on July 1. The $250 million in state funds was allocated for TSU after Tennessee's Office of Legislative Budget Analysis released a report in 2021 that revealed the state underfunded TSU by up to $544 million over the course of several decades. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture sent a letter to Gov. Bill Lee calculating that underfunding was $2.1 billion. Advocates have long pressed for that underfunding to be restored. Tucker referenced the $544 million figure multiple times during the Wednesday meeting. He said repurposing the remaining $154 million from the state's initial restoration of funding is a starting point. In the future, Tucker said, he hopes to discuss how the final $294 million can be provided to TSU. More: How the state underfunded Tennessee State University by $2 billion Tucker previously went before the State Building Commission on Dec. 16, his first official day in office. During that meeting, McNally pressed Tucker to explore financial exigency for TSU, an extensive and extreme measure that would allow the university to cut programs and fire tenured faculty, if needed. Mumpower also urged TSU to consider selling its downtown campus and a plot it owns at the John C. Tune airport. Tucker fielded their questions and said he'd work through the holidays to formulate a plan. Mumpower leveled criticism at previous TSU leadership during the December meeting and again on Wednesday. However, he also praised Tucker and his team for their transparency and plans to steady TSU. "It's remarkable what can happen when competent leadership is in place," Mumpower said Wednesday. Mumpower also spoke directly to several TSU student leaders in the meeting Wednesday and said he'd like to visit campus and have lunch with them to hear about their experience. TSU: State Democrats criticize comptroller for 'aggressive' questions to university leaders Sexton said he is willing to work with state lawmakers on revising how TSU can use the $154.5 million left in its capital improvements fund. However, he also said he'd like to see it drawn down incrementally, with benchmarks in place to release more funds as the next five years unfold. Tucker said he is open to that, depending on what the benchmarks are. "We just want a little more flexibility to … run a business while we establish credibility," Tucker said. During the meeting, Tucker also highlighted the progress TSU has made since the last time he faced the commission. He said the university completed a financial exigency training with staff, streamlined how top TSU leaders meet and collaborate, restructured its business and finance department and its financial aid office, and resolved past audit findings. It also saw 600 more students than expected enroll for the spring 2025 semester. Commission members praised Tucker and his team for their dedication, professionalism and financial plan. "All this contributes to the sense that TSU is here for the long term," Jim Bryson, Commissioner of Finance and Administration, said. "I believe that TSU is getting stronger every day that you're at the helm." This story has been updated to add photos. Reach reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@ or follow her on Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSU leaders propose millions in cuts, layoffs to avoid shortfall
