Top Social Menu

Facebook

Cherish Act hearing tomorrow, forum on the state budget Thursday

4/29/2019

Dear Colleague,

Below is an update on the FY20 state budget and activities for the Cherish Act.  If you have yet to contact your state legislators, please do so now.  See here to find your legislators, see here for a script on what to say to your legislators, and here for information on the Cherish Act.    

►  Cherish Act Hearing tomorrow, April 30:

The Cherish Act hearing is tomorrow at 10:00 in room A-1 at the State House in Boston. If you enter the side door of the State House, the hearing room is straight ahead on the same floor.  Meet us at 9:00 at the MTA office at 20 Ashburton Place in Boston for coffee and muffins and to pick up a red Fund Our Future t-shirt. We will head over to the State House around 9:30 so that we can make sure we pack the hearing room with educators wearing red.

Come to the MAY 2 UMB Fund Our Future Forum: 12-1 pm in the Campus Center Ballroom A:

Pizza will be served.  Discuss the Cherish Act with legislators, discuss how the budget cuts have affected you, and get support for this legislation.  Please register for this here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/fund-our-future-legislator-lunch

Update on the budget:  None of the amendments we discussed last week passed, but this language is now in the House consolidated amendment for education which includes Higher Ed.  Below is the part that relates to UMass Boston.

And further amend said section 2, in item 7100-0200, by inserting after the word “maintenance”, in line 9, the following:- ; provided further, that the University of Massachusetts shall expend funds for the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Cranberry Station; provided further, that funding for each center and institute at the University of Massachusetts at Boston shall be provided at an amount not less than in fiscal year 2019; provided further, that if the university deems it necessary to reduce funding to any of said institutions, the university shall issue a report detailing: (a) the reasons for said reductions; (b) all steps taken to avoid such reductions including, but not limited to, the identification of other sources of existing funds, raising of new revenues and the pursuit of savings initiatives and efficiencies; and (c) a mitigation plan to ameliorate the effects on students and university staff of such reductions, for which input from students and university staff shall be solicited; provided further, that the report shall be provided to the joint committee on higher education and the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than 120 days prior to any such funding reduction or institutional closure; provided further the University of Massachusetts at Boston shall, not later than January 3, 2020, submit a report to the joint committee on higher education and the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the progress made implementing the April 2019 taskforce on centers and institutes’ recommendations;

May 16th – Rally & Day of Action at the State House

- We'll be gathering at 4 pm at the Ironworker Statue on May 16 to go to the State House together.

- Wear red that day.

- Those who sign up on this link (https://actionnetwork.org/events/ill-be-there-on-may-16/  ) will get a free T-shirt and a free T-pass.

-We are fighting for no tuition and fee increases. 3X the funding that Governor Baker is providing to K-12, and 2X the funding that the Governor and House are providing to public higher education in next year’s budget. (See the flier here)

Sincerely,

Marlene Kim

President, FSU

Professor, Economics

Check out the FSU Blog

Please “like” the  FSU Facebook Page

Follow us on Twitter at @FSU_UMB