Finance panel approves State Board supplemental credit‑mobility funding, moves ahead with reduced higher‑education package

Kevin Campbell, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee the Office of the State Board of Education had requested a supplemental grant to study credit portability between institutions.

The committee approved a $40,000 credit mobility grant covering January 2025 to January 2026, and, separately, approved an immediate FY2025 supplemental transfer of $20,000 from the miscellaneous revenue fund to the Office of the State Board of Education. The FY2025 supplemental motion was moved by Senator Ward Engelking and seconded by Representative Petzke; members gave the motion a unanimous due‑pass recommendation.

The committee also advanced a larger FY2026 budget package for the office after debate. Representative Petzke moved — and Senator Woodward seconded — a FY2026 amendment that adds 1 full‑time position and a mix of general‑fund and dedicated‑fund items totaling $360,700 (1 FTP and $229,200 general fund; $131,500 from dedicated funds). The motion lists items including funding for a database engineer, a $10,000 software support contract, $35,000 for cybersecurity testing, $12,500 for program marketing, $20,000 for the credit mobility grant, $99,000 for replacement vehicles, and $40,000 for OITS hardware. The package passed the committee with a recorded tally of 17 ayes and 3 nays and will move forward with a due‑pass recommendation.

Several members objected to the removal of a previously proposed $5 million in‑demand workforce funding from the package. "I think it's extremely unfortunate that this is getting removed entirely," said Representative Petzke, noting the floor defeat of an earlier version of the measure. Senator Windrow and others argued the cut will worsen workforce shortages and delay students' completion timelines; Senator Engelking pointed to concrete examples of students waiting to enter programs. Other members said the budget still includes other higher‑education investments, including $10 million for wait‑list programs and permanent building fund dollars for campuses, and described the reductions as pragmatic compromises to preserve higher priorities.

The committee voted separately to accept technical language associated with the FY2026 motion. Because the language involved reappropriation authority, members took a roll‑call: that acceptance passed on a roll call recorded as 18 ayes and 2 nays. The accepted language mirrors previously considered language except for the removal of the provision related to the use of appropriated funds; committee staff said other language remains the same as the March 11 motion.

Decisions and next steps: the committee gave due‑pass recommendations for the supplemental FY2025 transfer, the FY2026 package for the Office of the State Board of Education, and the associated language. Those measures now proceed according to the legislature's standard bill‑processing steps.