Regents OK $238 million for buildings

MORRIS, MINN. - As last month's strike by campus AFSCME workers progressed, the University of Minnesota faced increased criticism from DFL legislators.

The strike, in the words of Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, "left a sour taste in our mouth."

On Friday, the regents met for the first time since about 1,000 clerical, technical and health care workers returned to work. Meeting at the University of Minnesota-Morris, the regents approved the university's largest-ever capital request, which will be considered by the same legislators who were critical during the strike.

The university is asking the state for $238 million to help pay for projects totaling just more than $308 million. The request would pay for new buildings on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses and for about $100 million in repairs across the state.

University President Robert Bruininks said the plan addresses weaknesses in infrastructure and described it as being "without excess" and called it "urgent."

But in the wake of only the second strike in 60 years at the university, how will the request from the state's flagship university be received by the DFL-controlled Legislature?

"I think the strike was regrettable, and obviously no one wins, but I think at the end of the day, we have to consider the long-range importance of the University of Minnesota," Bruininks said. "If we don't keep investing in the University of Minnesota, we won't have the ability to compete to develop the resources to keep the jobs vibrant for our employees and for our state's economy."

"We have a difference of opinion on how they handle their contracts," said Mary Murphy, DFL-Hermantown.

That said, several DFLers said that the bonding bill will get a fair shake.

"You can make the political link, but I don't see any reason to," said Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park.

Hausman, head of the House Bonding Committee, was among several legislators who spent Friday looking at potential bonding projects in southeastern Minnesota. She said she hopes the AFSCME strike doesn't affect how the university's request is handled.

"There's a lot of interest in asset preservation," said Hausman while traveling from Winona to Red Wing. "In our bonding bills, higher education has always had a prominent place.

After the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge and flooding in the southeastern part of the state, there will be much talk of infrastructure when the legislative session opens. In addition to the University of Minnesota system, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system asked the state for $271 million for capital projects.

Regent Dean Johnson, who spent a combined 28 years in the House and Senate, said he doesn't expect negative repercussions because of the strike, but he does expect legislators to ask tough questions.

"A question I would ask would be, are we using our classrooms, our buildings to the fullest extent?" Johnson said. "That said, some of the buildings I looked at [on the Morris campus], the putty is falling out of the windows."

When university administrators travel to St. Paul to talk about the request, they probably will discuss more than buildings and infrastructure.

"I think they're going to have to talk about the strike," Murphy said. "But I don't think the strike will have a negative impact [on the request]."

"I think we have such keen interest from the Legislature in the university succeeding that they will continue to listen respectfully and respond," Simmons said.

Jeff Shelman • 612-673-7478