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• Introduced by Rep. Pam Byrnes (D) on February 28, 2007, the executive recommendation for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007-2008 higher education budget for “research” universities, meaning the University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Wayne State. This appropriates $960.2 million in gross spending, all of which comes from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues.) In FY 2006-2007, the total budget for all research and non-research universities was $1.787 billion, of which $1.624 billion was general fund money. The comparable figures for FY 2007-2008 are $1.813 billion gross and $1.681 billion general fund. Note: Gov. Jenifer Granholm’s executive budget recommendations are premised on the legislature adopting a 2 percent tax on services which along with other tax increases and a proposed reduction in business taxes represents a net tax hike of approximately $1 billion.
  • Referred to the House Appropriations Committee on February 28, 2007.
    • Reported in the House on August 22, 2007, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-4) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the House on August 23, 2007, to replace the executive proposal for this budget with one that expresses the preferences of the House majority on various spending items and funding sources. For more see the House-passed version, and for details see analysis from the non-partisan House Fiscal Agency. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. David Agema (R) and Rep. Jacob Hoogendyk, Jr. (R) on August 23, 2007, to require each university to include in the information it submits to a state higher education data bank ("HEIDI") a record of all spending of state dollars, as well as a list of salaries by job classification. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment failed 63 to 47 in the House on August 23, 2007.
    Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
  • Amendment offered by Rep. David Agema (R) on August 23, 2007, to prohibit state universities from discounting the net tuition and fees paid by an individual illegally residing within this country below the standard nonresident tuition and fee rate. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Kenneth Horn (R) on August 23, 2007, to prohibit universities from spending money to lobby or entertain elected officials. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. David Agema (R) and Rep. Tom Pearce (R) on August 23, 2007, to prohibit universities from spending money to provide employee benefits to the unmarried partners of employees. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Tim Moore (R) on August 23, 2007, to require universities to post a sample tuition bill available in electronic internet format on their website, which must include all fees and assessments in addition to tuition and boarding charges. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Tom Pearce (R) on August 23, 2007, to prohibit universites from spending any money to fund or promote new or expanded activities related to embryonic stem cell research. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Tim Moore (R) on August 23, 2007, to require universities to make all transfer policies clearly and easily accessible in electronic internet format on their website. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Mike Nofs (R) on August 23, 2007, to make certain university funding contingent on the university adhering to a 3 percent annual tuition increase cap. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. David Agema (R) on August 23, 2007, to establish as the the intent of the legislature that universities not spend money on a project or equipment intended for or to accommodate specific religious purposes. This comes after a controversy involving the University of Michigan's Dearborn Campus planning to spend $100,000 on foot-washing stations in restrooms for Moslem students whose religion requires them to wash their feet and hands before praying. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. David Agema (R) on August 23, 2007, to prohibit universities from spending money on activities which include a display of human waste on religious symbols, nudity, profane language, a display of a sex act, or a depiction of flag desecration. As with other Republican amendments, this one was ultimately defeated when late in the process the House Democratic majority adopted a new "substitute" for the entire bill on a non-record roll call "voice vote". The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Virgil Smith, Jr. (D) on August 23, 2007, to require universities to admit any high school graduate finishing in the top 10 percent of his or her class in either junior or senior year. This practice is seen as a substitute for banned racial preferences in admissions, which were prohibited by the 2006 Proposal 2 Constitutional Amendment. The amendment was ultimately not incuded in the House-passed version because of a parliamentary maneuver late in the process of adopting a new "substitute" for the entire bill without any of the previously passed amendments. The amendment passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
  • Substitute offered by Rep. Steve Tobocman (D) on August 23, 2007, to adopt a new substitute version of the bill that does not include the mostly Republican amendments previously offered and passed. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on August 23, 2007.
• Passed 57 to 52 in the House on August 23, 2007, the House version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007-2008 higher education budget for “research” universities, meaning the University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Wayne State. This appropriates $1.027 billion in gross spending, all of which comes from the general fund (funded by actual state tax revenues.) When delays in previous year disbursements are considered that pushed some of those appropriations into this budget, the net increase in funding is around 5 percent over the previous fiscal year, divided unevenly among the various universities. Note: As with all House Budgets, this one authorizes spending well in excess of projected revenues, and is based on the presumption of a substantial tax increase.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the Senate on August 30, 2007.
  • Referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 30, 2007.