The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
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Pray-Harrold renovation on hold
Gov. vetoes funding for renovations to EMU building
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 4, 2007
Governor Jennifer Granholm vetoed a bill that would have allocated $30 million in state funding for EMU's academic building Pray-Harrold.
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Senate Bill 1081, a $666.8 million proposal, was vetoed on Dec. 22. The governor's decision came a week after landing on her desk from both the Statehouse and the state Senate.
The bill would have issued state bonds to fund projects for parks, universities, colleges and other organizations throughout the state.
Granholm had originally approved a $364.3 million measure that would have provided $39 million to EMU's $52.7 million Pray-Harrold project. However, the legislature ended up reducing state spending for the EMU project and adding on 17 projects not mentioned by the governor.
"The veto was not because she does not approve of the projects on the bill," said Greg Bird, director of communication for the state budget office. "She believes we need to get our fiscal house in order before we approve this type of state spending,"
Bird said the governor's decision was made because of a $1.9 billion hole created by the legislature's elimination of the SBT.
"Law-makers need to fix the massive budget problem they've created," Bird said. "That is the issue we need to address."
Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith, D-District 54, and Sen. Liz Brater, D-18th District, voted yes on the bill.
"She's essentially saying we should have done the heavy lifting first," Smith said. "In the greater picture, I think she's right."
"We have to work quickly in the coming year to replace the SBT," Smith said. "I know we have to fix it."
Smith said she would stick to her yes vote if the bill were given to her again.
"I voted for the bill because I know she has a line-item-veto," Smith said. "I may have more faith in the legislature than the governor does."
Smith said she has been to Pray-Harrold and is familiar with its condition.
"I'm disappointed," Smith said. "It should have been renovated years ago."
Built in 1969, Pray-Harrold serves more than 10,000 students a day when classes are in session. EMU Student Government launched a campaign last April to get its Pray-Harrold renovation project on a state bill. Called Save Pray-Harrold, the campaign involved handing out buttons on campus, issuing letters to state officials and establishing a web page, www.prayharrold.com.
"It's good to trust the governor's instincts," said Daniel Cicchini, EMU's student body president.
Cicchini said the veto could be could for EMU because of the legislature's $9 million reduction in the governor's original plan for Pray-Harrold.
"I think [the decision] is in the best interest of the university," Cicchini said. "The money is absolutely essential."
John Fallon, EMU's president, agreed with Cicchini about the $9 million dollar loss that could be made up later.
"That was not a happy moment for us," Fallon said of when the legislature decided to reduce its funding for the EMU portion of the bill. "[The veto] was fine with us."
Fallon said a new capital outlay bill will be introduced later this month. He said the state share for that bill will be at $39 million.
He said the governor does want to see the loss in state revenue made up in the budget. "Whether it's tied to this bill remains to be seen," Fallon said.
Bird confirmed that the governor is planning to introduce a new capital outlay bill in mid-January. However, he said a separate bill would address a resolution to the SBT problem, though the two bills would be submitted close to each other in regards to timing.
"At this point, we don't know… what the final bill will look like," Bird said.
Senate Bill 1081 was introduced on Feb. 28 of last year, according to Bird.
"That certainly doesn't mean it would take that many months to work out a new capital outlay bill," Bird said.
He said a new bill could be approved as early as February, but it's impossible to predict.
Fallon said the new Democrat-controlled house is something to keep in mind. "That introduces a new dynamic into the picture," he said.
Mark Higbee is a history professor at EMU. "Nearly all my classes are in Pray-Harrold," he said. "The building needs a lot of improvement."
Higbee said the governor's decision is "too bad," but it was not about EMU.
"The governor has to balance the budget. It seems a very principled choice," Higbee said.
Though Higbee said it would be disappointing if the building is not improved, he wasn't too impressed with EMU's plan to renovate the building. He said he was told there would be little work done to the offices on the building's upper floors.
"I have no confidence in the plan that was approved," Higbee said. "I don't know any professors in Pray-Harrold that were involved in coming up with the plan."
As Pray-Harrold's future is debated in the state legislature, Fallon said EMU is planning to make an announcement regarding renovations to another older academic building on campus. He said plans to renovate Mark Jefferson will be announced later this month.
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