H. 3365 and H. 3841 are bills giving Higher Ed and the Technical Colleges more flexibility in their purchases. Currently, these institutions must crawl and beg permission from the antiquated Budget and Control Board for approval for many major expenditures.
I’ll support these bills as long as we can get some transparency. As you’ve heard me express before, I’m for flexibility as long as it is coupled with transparency. Well, I offered an amendment today that requires these institutions to post on their website a transaction register that includes a complete record of all funds exempted from the requirement.
Our Comptroller General has already offered assistance to any agency wanting his assistance in posting the information online.
Teachers, contributors, students,and parents have expressed their frustration many times when they’re told by administration that there’s no money for the essentials or there’s a new tuition hike. If we can grant transparency, we’ll get a clear view of where the money’s going. The taxpayer has every right to track down how every nickel and dime is spent.
Now there is a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Rose, S. 0789, that will require full transparency for all of higher ed’s budgets, but its in committee. So here’s an opportunity to start with a small slice of the budget to prepare for what’s coming.
I’m getting some resistance on this amendment, so the fate of these bills are in question.
I can be very rigid when it comes to flexibility without transparency!
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