1998 Legislative Overview (Part 2): Introduction

December 1998 1998 Legislative Overview (Part 2) Introduction Several states worked off the second year of biennial budgets. Appropriations in Alaska, Colorado, and Montana exceeded prior-year appropriations while Hawaii's appropriation declined from its fiscal year 1998 appropriation. Budget share in Alaska, Hawaii, and North Dakota remained unchanged, but declines occurred in Colorado, Montana, and Oregon. Fall 1998 tuition for undergraduate resident students increased in all states in this issue except California, where fees declined. Higher education issues addressed by legislatures and coordinating/governing boards in the states included information technology (California, Colorado, and North Dakota), governance (Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, and Oregon), teacher education (California and North Dakota), articulation (California, Nevada, and North Dakota), and deferred maintenance (Alaska and California). Budget issues will continue to be strong in the states, as will information technology, tuition, financial aid, access, governance, and teacher education. This issue of Policy Insights highlights legislative activity during the 1998 session in Alaska, California, Colorado, and Hawaii. Since biennial legislatures in Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Oregon did not meet in 1998, coordinating/governing board actions in FY 98 are reported. Summaries for remaining WICHE states–Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming–were published in August 1998.
Appropriations Budget Tuition, Fees & Financial Aid	Information Technology Governance Deferred Maintenance Teacher Education	Articulation Other Issues Issues to Watch At a Glance
This issue of Policy Insights was prepared by Cheryl Blanco, Director of Policy and Information. WICHE gratefully acknowledges assistance from staff in the State Higher Education Executive Offices in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Oregon in the preparation of this report. Policy Insights is a series designed as a companion publication for WICHE's recently published fact book, Policy Indicators for Higher Education: WICHE States. Drawing on the indicators contained in the fact book and information from other sources, Policy Insights examines current issues in higher education from the perspective of policymakers at the state level and on the campus. Paper copies of any Policy Insights can be ordered electronically though the WICHE Publications Order Form . There is no charge for paper copies of Policy Insights. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education -- WICHE -- promotes and facilitates resource sharing, collaboration, and cooperative planning among western states and their colleges and universities. This includes communicating research information and policy analysis on vital issues in higher education to education and government policymakers. Member and affiliated states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education P.O. Box 9752 Boulder, CO 80301-9752 David Longanecker, Executive Director Cheryl D. Blanco, Director, Policy and Information Tel: (303) 541-0224 FAX: (303) 541-0291 E-mail: Policy@wiche.edu

December 1998

1998 Legislative Overview
(Part 2)

Introduction

Several states worked off the second year of biennial budgets. Appropriations in Alaska, Colorado, and Montana exceeded prior-year appropriations while Hawaii's appropriation declined from its fiscal year 1998 appropriation. Budget share in Alaska, Hawaii, and North Dakota remained unchanged, but declines occurred in Colorado, Montana, and Oregon. Fall 1998 tuition for undergraduate resident students increased in all states in this issue except California, where fees declined. Higher education issues addressed by legislatures and coordinating/governing boards in the states included information technology (California, Colorado, and North Dakota), governance (Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, and Oregon), teacher education (California and North Dakota), articulation (California, Nevada, and North Dakota), and deferred maintenance (Alaska and California). Budget issues will continue to be strong in the states, as will information technology, tuition, financial aid, access, governance, and teacher education.

This issue of Policy Insights highlights legislative activity during the 1998 session in Alaska, California, Colorado, and Hawaii. Since biennial legislatures in Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Oregon did not meet in 1998, coordinating/governing board actions in FY 98 are reported. Summaries for remaining WICHE states–Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming–were published in August 1998.

Appropriations
Budget
Tuition, Fees & Financial Aid

Information Technology
Governance
Deferred Maintenance
Teacher Education

Articulation
Other Issues
Issues to Watch
At a Glance

This issue of Policy Insights was prepared by Cheryl Blanco, Director of Policy and Information. WICHE gratefully acknowledges assistance from staff in the State Higher Education Executive Offices in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Oregon in the preparation of this report.

Policy Insights is a series designed as a companion publication for WICHE's recently published fact book, Policy Indicators for Higher Education: WICHE States. Drawing on the indicators contained in the fact book and information from other sources, Policy Insights examines current issues in higher education from the perspective of policymakers at the state level and on the campus. Paper copies of any Policy Insights can be ordered electronically though the WICHE Publications Order Form . There is no charge for paper copies of Policy Insights.

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education -- WICHE -- promotes and facilitates resource sharing, collaboration, and cooperative planning among western states and their colleges and universities. This includes communicating research information and policy analysis on vital issues in higher education to education and government policymakers. Member and affiliated states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
P.O. Box 9752
Boulder, CO 80301-9752
David Longanecker, Executive Director
Cheryl D. Blanco, Director, Policy and Information
Tel: (303) 541-0224 FAX: (303) 541-0291
E-mail: Policy@wiche.edu