LINN — Although Missouri’s legislative session ended on May 15, State Technical Regents learned at their recent meeting that decisions made in the Capitol over the next year could have long-term implications for the college’s funding, even as legislative liaisons Dave Jackson and Ryan DeBoef expressed optimism about the institution’s standing with state leaders.

At the board’s last meeting, the pair provided Regents an overview of the recently completed session, describing it as one of the most productive in recent memory after years of gridlock in Jefferson City.

Jackson said the tone in the Capitol changed dramatically this year. “This year was a pleasant change to the decorum and the operations in Jeff City,” Jackson said. “The last several years — really the last decade — had declined in terms of the functionality of the General Assembly.”

He attributed much of that dysfunction to personal conflicts among senators that often derailed legislation regardless of policy merits.

“A lot of policies blew up because of personal disputes more than policy disputes,” Jackson said. “There was so much personal conflict that it really just created a stalemate.”

This year, however, lawmakers worked more cooperatively. “Leadership took it upon themselves to really work well across party lines, and the things that didn’t pass this year were mostly policy disagreements more than personality.”

Jackson noted that while more than 3,000 bills were filed during the session, only a small number of policy bills ultimately passed both chambers. “It’s kind of the legislative playoffs the last two weeks,” he added. “You have over 3,000 bills filed, and only 83 of them made it.”

He contrasted that with recent years when legislative productivity had dropped into the 40s, and even the 20s because of procedural battles and partisan infighting.

Jackson also credited Gov. Mike Kehoe with helping improve relationships inside the Capitol. “Governor Kehoe is a generational opportunity for Missouri,” Jackson said. “He’s not a governor that you just see at ribbon-cuttings. He’s in the Capitol, sleeves rolled up, walking the hallways, working relationships, trying to get stuff done.”

He added that the governor’s leadership has helped create a more functional legislative environment.

Despite the improved atmosphere, Jackson warned Missouri is entering a more restrictive financial period.

General revenue collections are currently running about 2% below projections after several years bolstered by federal COVID-19 dollars. “The main goal was to hold the line the best everyone could,” said Jackson.

State Tech received $8.9 million in general revenue plus another $500,000 in lottery funding. That total reflects the loss of approximately $500,000 in one-time funding received the previous year.

Jackson said the governor has already eliminated more than $700 million in projects as the state prepares for leaner budgets.

DeBoef told regents one of the session’s biggest discussions involved changing Missouri’s higher education funding formula.

The House proposed reallocating funding based primarily on full-time-equivalent enrollment, but State Tech objected after discovering the formula effectively set the per-student funding amount at half the per-student amount of other institutions. “The math wasn’t mathing,” DeBoef said. “They kind of didn’t know how to treat State Tech, so what the House did was they just cut it in half, and that didn’t make any sense.”

After meetings with legislators, the proposal ultimately failed.

“We ended with flat funding, which was the governor’s recommendation,” said DeBoef.

However, lawmakers did include language directing the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to develop recommendations for a new funding model before next year’s budget cycle.

DeBoef called that a significant step. “This is further than we’ve gotten before,” he said. “The legislature has been very clear that this can’t get too complicated. They need actual numbers.”

He noted that State Tech plans to continue making its case before legislative leaders.

“We now know one of the main talking points we need to have is, ‘Hey, don’t cut us in half.’ We need to articulate why we should be on par with the public universities in terms of calculating core funding,” said DeBoef.

He also viewed the session as a success because lawmakers avoided legislation that could have negatively affected public colleges. “One of the most remarkable wins this year for State Tech is that nothing truly terrible ended up in those bills,” DeBoef said.

One bill that did pass gives governors more flexibility when appointing members to college governing boards.

For State Tech, the change increases the maximum number of board members who may come from Osage County or an adjoining county from two to three.

“It’s not a big change, but it does give the governor a little more flexibility,” DeBoef noted.

The legislative discussion prompted Regents VP Steve Sellenriek to emphasize Missouri’s growing need for skilled trades workers as billions of dollars in construction projects move forward across the state.

“I think we need to get on offense with the budget committee and get them down here and show them that the people that come out of this school are going to be employed in these kinds of projects,” he said.

Sellenriek pointed to demand for electricians, plumbers, heavy equipment operators, utility workers and other skilled trades. “The amount of construction that’s coming is unbelievable,” he added.

Sellenriek argued State Tech should distinguish itself from other higher education institutions because of its direct role in workforce development.

“We’ve got to get that in front of legislators so they understand it,” he said. “I don’t want to be lumped in with everybody.”

Jackson agreed, saying the rapid growth of data centers across Missouri will create unprecedented workforce needs.

“The whole idea of data centers and how State Tech fits into that conversation is a strategic conversation we need to have,” he said. “There’s a lot of education that needs to be done around the benefits of this.”

State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong said the college is already budgeting conservatively in anticipation of tighter state finances over the next several years.

Dr. Strong estimated Missouri has roughly $7.5 billion in discretionary spending and questioned what level of reductions higher education could eventually face.

DeBoef acknowledged that significant reductions remain possible. “I think that’s a viable place to start from in terms of trying to get what could happen in the future,” he said.

Jackson added that his team is preparing for that possibility now. “We have to be prepared for anything,” he said. “But, I think we’re also better positioned than anybody else in terms of performance and growth, and what this means for the changing workforce.”

Board President John Klebba thanked the legislative team for its efforts to represent the college. “We appreciate what you do on behalf of the institution,” he said. “I know it’s not always pretty up in Jeff City.”