In the past year, the Associated Students of the University of Missouri has experienced many exciting changes and accomplished a great deal. In fall 2012, ASUM was tasked with implementing a revised constitution, both system wide and on each individual campus. This reorganization has led to a successful year. Significant progress has been made towards educating, representing, and communicating with the 75,044 students of the UM System. These accomplishments promise to further develop the organization’s leadership role in higher education across the state of Missouri.In addition to the new organizational structure that ASUM has incorporated, ASUM has played a large role in encouraging students to vote. This year, Get Out the Vote events were held on each UM Campus, 6000+ students were registered to vote and transportation was provided on election day.On the legislative front, ASUM obtained sponsors in each area of the ASUM legislative platform. Also, alternative avenues were developed and promoted to file complaints regarding 
security deposit disputes. Federal legislators were contacted regarding sequestration, student loan interest 
rates, and immigration reform. Additionally, ASUM was instrumental in securing increased appropriations for the UM-System.

What’s Next?
Under this new direction, ASUM has placed an increased focus on campus programming and student events. Campus engagement remains a central part of the organization’s mission. Over the course of the 2012-2013 academic year, ASUM was able to host numerous events on each campus and at the state capitol.

Next year, we plan to increase the number of these events. Events for the 2013-2014 academic year are being planned, including a series of town hall style informational sessions designed to educate students on current legislative affairs. These gatherings will provide students with an outlet to voice their concerns and/or questions in an informal environment. Campus presidents will also play a more important role in the coming year, acting as liaisons between the Legislative Internship program and their respective student bodies. ASUM continues to help bridge the gap between Jefferson City and each campus. Through our “Make a Stand” rally and ASUM Board of Directors Lobby Day, we were successful in giving students from each campus the opportunity to personally interact with Missouri legislators.

Introducing the 2013-2014 Legislative and Assistant Legislative Directors

Left: Kaitlin Steen, 2013-2014 Assistant Legislative Director
Right: Rachel Jag, 2013-2014 Legislative Director

Higher Education News

Funding for Capital Improvements

Western Governors U.

A+ Program Good for Students

Lawmakers Advance Budget Proposal

This week the Missouri Senate held a hearing in the Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee, chaired by Senator Jay Wasson (R-20), on SB 320 sponsored by Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-19) from Columbia. SB 320 requires that a voting student member be placed on theUniversity of Missouri Board of Curators.

In the weeks before the hearing, legislative interns met withmembers of the committee to discuss the bill and ask for support.  Many of the members were unsure of their opinion on the bill and discussed their arguments for and against the legislation with the interns along with asking any questions they had.

Committee Hearing
 
At the hearing, members of the committee had questions for Senator Kurt Schaefer about the bill.  Senator Wayne Wallingford (R-27) had questions about the current Board of Curators and the laws regarding appointments by the governor.  Senator Schaefer responded that a governor has never appointed a student as a curator from a congressional district and argued that it would be very unlikely for a governor to appoint one in the future.  Senator Schaefer then explained that for a student to have a voice it should be required by law that a voting student be placed on the board.  Senator Paul LeVota (D-11) commented that he had a daughter at the University of Missouri and did not understand why the bill would face any opposition. 

 Intern Nicholas Charalambides Testifies
 
Legislative Intern Nicholas Charalambides testified on behalf of ASUM and in favor of SB 320. Charalambides articulated these key points in favor of SB 320:
·      Students pay more of the University of Missouri System’s budget than the state.
·      There are currently 9 members on the board, but only 8 congressional districts.  One district in overrepresented and a voting student curator would replace the 9th member at large.
·      A voting student member would bring a different first-hand perspective to the board that non-student members may lack.
·      33 other states have universities with a voting student curator.
 
Intern Charalambides’ testimony concluded the hearing on SB 320.  The committee will vote on the bill in executive session in the next few weeks.  Hopefully, SB 320 will get its chance on the Senate floor. In 2008 a bill similar to SB 320 was passed by the House and Senate with bipartisan support, but was vetoed by Governor Blunt.

The Missouri House gave final approval Thursday to the 13 appropriations bills that make up the fiscal year 2014 state operating budget. There is still some ways to go before there is reason to celebrate.  HB 3 has been referred to the conference committee.  Once agreement is made by the conference committee(usually a compromised of differences), each reports to its own chamber on the committee’s recommendation. If both chambers approve the conference committee report, the bill is declared Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed. The bill is reprinted and the words “Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed” are printed above the bill number. If either house rejects the conference committee report, it may be returned to the same or a newly-appointed conference committee for further conferences.  HB 3 is effective on August 28, 2014.  The University of Missouri systems stands to receive $404,227,214, which is a victory for the University, given our core request of $400.3 million.

The Recent Trend in State Support

The recent trend in state support of Missouri’s public institutions has been inconsistent in the past, and while the UM system is slated to receive $3.7million more than it requested, we are careful to not to count our chickens before they hatch.  There has been a precipitous decline in appropriations to the University of Missouri system, according to an independent study.

The same study shows an increase in the consumer price index (CPI) while the University has faced a decline of 10.4% in support.  It communicates the decline in support and the increase in the consumer price index. The overarching point is that the University of Missouri system schools are cautiously optimistic about the FY 2014 allocation, due to the “feast or famine” shifts in state support over these years.  Several issues may cause more uncertainty in the University’s budget, issues such as performance funding, limited capacity to increase tuition and fees, and pressures to reduce costs and increase productivity.

The Budget Bills

Senate Committee Substitute for House Committee Substitute for HB3

Perfected House Committee Substitute for HB3

Overall, these statistics show Missouri’s lack of preparation in these subjects and that we should make a change for improvement in STEM education!

 What is ASUM doing to help?

 

On April 11th, 2013 students from all four University of Missouri campuses made their way to the capitol for ASUM’s “Make a Stand Rally.”  The purpose of the rally was to allow students to speak with legislators on issues concerning students of higher education and show the legislature that students are interested in its happenings. Students were able to “Make a Stand” and have their voices heard by legislators on issues such as the  proposed funding for the UM System. During special breakout sessions, students from each campus had an opportunity to speak with the legislators who represent their specific campus.

A group of University of Missouri students pose after the rally. 

Legislators of the Year 

At the Make a Stand Rally the Legislator of the Year awards were presented. Annually, one legislator from each chamber recievieves the award. The award is given to legislators that have went above and beyond the call of duty to assist ASUM’s legislative interns. Representative Courtney Curtis (D-73) and Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-19) were the 97th General Assembly recipients. Representative Curtis has been instrumental in filing of House Bill 934 which creates a tax credit for employers that hire students for internships that  major in S.T.E.M. related fields.  Senator Schaefer once again sponsored Student Curator legislation and is leading the charge for capital improvement bonds that would benefit all four campuses.

Representative Curtis poses with legislative intern Rachel Jag after receiving Legislator of the Year. 

Current Budget Status 

House Bill 3, which appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Higher Education, recently made its way to the Missouri Senate. House Budget Chairman Rick Stream’s budget includes $404 million to be appropriated to the University of Missouri System.

Missouri is currently ranked 45^th in the nation in terms of state government higher education funding. While student enrollment has grown by 31 percent since 2001, state appropriations per full time equivalent student have decreased by 35 percent. To account for the $472 million funding gap, the four campuses making up the UM System, Mizzou, UMKC, UMSL, and Missouri S&T, have had to raise tuition levels each year, putting a higher burden on students to fund their own education.

Higher Education Returns 

UM System President Tim Wolfe gave a presentation to an eighth grade class that included a bar graph explaining that for every dollar allocated toward higher education, a 15 percent return is offered. Also, he stated that those with a college degree earn $1.6 million over their lifetime than those without a college degree. Read the article here.

The necessity of adequate funding for Missouri higher education reaches beyond its impacts on a student. The pool for available tax revenue would open up naturally with a more educated tax base. Some form of college degree pays significantly more in taxes than without.

Make a Stand for UM System Funding

Make a Stand Rally on April 11th, where you can show your support for higher education and the UM System.
SIGN UP HERE.

Medicaid is the national health insurance program for low-income Americans and families.  Starting in 2014 the Affordable Care Act would require states to expand Medicaid to people under the age of 65 with incomes of up to 138 percent of the poverty line, or $15,414 annually for an individual.  The Medicaid expansion would mostly benefit Americans without dependent children that make too much money to be on current Medicaid, but not enough to purchase their health care individually.   While the Supreme Court of the United States upheld most of the Affordable Care Act, it ruled against the requirement that states expand Medicaid.  The Supreme Court found it unconstitutional to require states to expand Medicaid to include more people.  Missouri can choose to expand or not expand Medicaid in 2014 and the decision is a hot topic in the Missouri Legislature as Governor Nixon and legislators debate the expansion.
Want to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and Supreme Court ruling?Medicaid Expansion in Missouri
From 2014 to 2020 the federal government will contribute 96.1 percent of the expansion costs to the state and the Missouri government will contribute 3.9 percent.
The federal government will pay for 100 percent of the Medicaid expansion for the first 3 years and will then decrease the federal contribution to 90 percent by 2020.
Medicaid would be expanded to more than 220,000 Missourians by 2020.
A projected 24, 008 jobs would be created in Missouri with 22,175 of them being sustained through 2020.
The Missouri government will pay approximately $333 million for Medicaid expansion combined with the federal government’s share of about $8.2 billion dollars resulting in approximately $8.6 billion.   This will add approximately $9.6 billion to the gross state product
For more information about the effects of the Medicaid expansion in Missouriclick here.Missouri Legislators on Medicaid Expansion
Legislation to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act supported by Governor Nixon and Missouri Democrats has been defeated many times in the Republican-led legislature.  Republicans have responded with arguments for a more cost-effective Medicaid plan that would be market-based and reduce dependency.  A market-based Medicaid plan sponsored by Representative Jay Barnes (R-Jefferson City) would add some adults up to 100 percent of the poverty level to Medicaid but remove some children and pregnant women that currently qualify.  (HB 700). Many opponents of Medicaid expansion argue it is too costly for Missouri to take on such an expense and this expense would cause the state to pull funding from other parts of the budget that could include higher education. Supporters of the expansion explain the importance of extending affordable health care to Missourians that cannot afford it and the need to bring tax dollars paid to Washington back to Missouri.

The University of Missouri Healthy System reports it could lose up to $6 million a year from the federal government if the legislature does not accept Medicaid expansion. The Affordable Care Act reduces reimbursements to hospitals originally set out to pay for the uninsured. Read more here.

On Tuesday 5th March, The Associated Students of the University of Missouri held their annual Lobby Day. The ASUM Board of Directors from all four of the University of Missouri campuses visited the State Capitol in Jefferson City to meet with representatives and senators from their respective campus’ districts.Students were able to engage with members of the House and Senate on issues that were important to them and their education. They were also able to ask representatives and senators about their opinions on the legislative platform that the current legislative intern team is lobbying for.After meeting with some of the representatives, everyone was in attendance for the start of legislative session in the House, where Representative Chris Kelly introduced the Board of Directors.

ASUM Board of Directors and Legislative Interns

We’re thankful to all of those who took the time out of their busy schedules to come to the Capitol for the day. By being there you reiterated how important investing in higher education is for not just our own future, but Missouri as a whole.

For those who do not serve on the Board of Directors, be sure to attend the Make a Stand Rally on April 11th, where you can show your support for higher education and the UM System.
SIGN UP HERE.

For over 35 years ASUM has been the student voice in government and continues to serve as a model for other universities across the country.
Students in Missouri have the potential to make a great impact on the Missouri legislature and their policies. The ASUM Legislative Interns have been lobbying very hard for

University of Missouri Students, now it’s your turn! Make sure to join us April 11th at the Capitol to “Make a Stand” for students! Look here to see what they have been doing this legislative session on Budgetary Issues, Student Curator, Landlord & Tenant Relations, and STEM Initiatives.The Associated Students of the University of Missouri is hosting a UM-System wide rally at the Capitol on April 11th from 9am to approximately 1pm . The theme of this rally is “Make A Stand” and students will be showing their support of higher education funding, scholarship funds, and the Governor’s BOOST bonding initiative. Free transportation will be provided from all UM-System schools as well as a free t-shirt. Students on all our campuses are invited!

Come represent yourself and support your fellow students on the Capitol steps and make a difference for your campus, the University System, and the State of Missouri!

SIGN UP HERE.

The ASUM Board of Directors is coming to your campus! Every four years ASUM asks for student’s feedback on their legislative priorities. The student opinion on the issues that are being brought forth from the students to the Missouri Legislature matters a great deal. Please come and give your opinion and learn more about our legislative platform.Learn more about the Board.UMSL March 1st- 3pm.
MU March 5th 7pm 
UMKC March 14th 5pm
S&T TBA

Please click here to let your student lobbying team know what you would like to see them focus on and have a chance to win $50!