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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2041
Colleges face millions, in cuts for 2004 by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@thevistaonline.com Hints at a possible $40.7 million budget cut next year and sour tax revenue collections in September have state higher education officials anxiously awaiting word about October's tax collections, due out Nov. 12. The Office of State Finance has sent out information requesting that college and university administrators plan for possible
cuts that could affect the State Regents for Higher Education 2004 budget. The potential future cuts were revealed in connection with a Nov. 1 meeting in which the regents approved a $51.3 million increase, bringing their fiscal year 2004 budget request for the Legislature to $1.26 billion, said Harve Allen, the regents' media relations director. Cost increases in state employee health benefits and scholarship
Sex offender database for schools takes time,
money necessitated the additional request, regents said. Another possible round of reductions comes after the regents announced a $36 million budget cut in September. As a result, UCO dipped into its emergency reserve to offset the related $2.1 million it had to cut from its budget. October's revenue numbers will tell regents if the state budget situation is improving or worsening, said Maryanne Maletz, the
regents' vice chancellor for Budget and Finance. "We're just holding our breath, waiting to see what happens," Maletz said. In September, compared to last year, general revenue was down $59.3 million, said Shawn Ashley, an Office of State Finance spokesman. That figure was off only slightly from the agency's estimated September decline of $65.2 million. September income tax revenue
was down $49.6 million. Gross production revenue dropped $7.4 million and sales tax revenue decreased by $3.3 million. Ashley said analysts are forecasting slow growth for the national economy during the fourth quarter, which includes the Christmas shopping season. The retail industry is the second largest sector in Oklahoma's
UCO women's soccer reaches Lone Star Conference finals — Page 9
see Regents page 7
Freedom sings
despite state openness by Michael Larson ml@thevistaonline.com
Anyone convicted of a felony sex offense within the last ten years must register for the dataColleges throughout the state base. Aggravated sex offenders, are launching publicly accessible such as those convicted of firstsex offender databases of students degree rape, must register regardand faculty, a trend sparked by less of how long ago the convicrecent federal legislation. tion occurred. Until recently, sex offenders "We're really looking for peoonly had to register with their ple who have been told to register hometown. The Campus Sex but haven't," Harp said. Not regCrimes Prevention Act passed in istering could be a serious Oct. 28, 2000 requires them to enough violation for many register with universities because offenders out on parole to be reof the growing number of stuincarcerated, he said. dents and faculty commuting to Senate Bill 1420 was signed universities from surrounding into Oklahoma law cities. April 29, 2002, The act UCO police have making it mandatoamends the Jacob ry for any higher Wetterling Crimes used, among other education instituAgainst Children methods, looking tion to establish such and Sexually through Edmond's a database to keep: Violent Offender sex offender data- their federal fundRegistration Act, ing. It passed with requiring law base for students little dissent, accordenforcement and faculty at UCO ing to the Oklahoma agencies to make to check for sex Ho use of information readiRepresentatives web ly available to offenders. page. campus security Higher education and police forces by Oct. 28, institutions across the country 2002. stood to lose federal grant fundThe act also amends the ing if they didn't comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of federal laws, and Harp said Campus Security Policy and Oklahoma could have lost Campus Crime Statistics Act, around $600,000. requiring schools to notify stuUniversity of Oklahoma dents and faculty that such a (OU) recently implemented its database is available to the public sex offender database, which is in their annual security reports as currently empty. of Oct. 1, 2003. Robert Smith, OU communiUCO's sex offender database cations and network specialist, is currently empty. Jeff Harp, said it will soon be available UCO director of public safety online and that, "if anyone were said UCO police have used, to walk in and register, we're among other methods, looking ready for it." through Edmond's sex offender Lt. Richard Atkins of database for students and faculty Oklahoma State University's at UCO to check for sex offend(OSU) support services said they ers. are in the process of implement"We expect that to change as word gets around of requiresee Database page 5 ments and regulations," Harp said.
UCO professor analyzes gubernatorial campaign by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@thevistaonline.corn While Brad Henry was out hustling votes across the state, former NFL wide receiver Steve Largent built a big early lead and played prevent defense until election day, said Dr. Jan Hardt, an associate political science professor at UCO. Many political insiders didn't even think Henry would advance beyond the primary, Hardt said. Vince Orza, an established name in Oklahoma politics, stood between Henry and the governor's mansion. An Orza-inspired alliance among Democrat candidates helped Henry beat Orza, Hardt
said. "Brad Henry was a surprise from day one," Hardt said. "He basically came out of nowhere. Even though he was a well-respected state legislator, he didn't have the name recognition Largent did." In campaigning, Largent had a seven to eight month head start on Henry, Hardt said. The Largent campaign also far outspent the Henry campaign, she said. Hardt said Henry made himself more visible than Largent during the campaign, especially in rural counties. One week
see Henry page 5
Bright Eyes fuses pain and poetry on his new CD — Page 6
2nd Annual Miss Asian UCO pageant scheduled for Nov. 16 — Page 6
Photo by Rebecca Martin
Freedom of Information, Inc. sponsored a two-day event entitled "9/11: Freedom in Balance," Nov. 7-8. The event highlighted the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. Jason White was among the songwriters that accompanied a session that touched on censorship in the music industry throughout history. See story page 4.
Keating, Henry want special session by Mark Schlachtenhaufen ms@thevistaonline.corn Governor-elect Brad Henry and Gov. Frank Keating met Nov. 6 and discussed issues including calling a special session of the Legislature to deal with the state budget crisis, a Henry spokesman said. The budget situation adversely affecting higher education could come up for consideration during the session that might convene sometime in November, said Thomas Larson, Henry's press secretary. "I imagine most everything will come up," Larson said. UCOSA Vice President Chad Dimmick liked the idea as long as legislators approached it in .a bipartisan manner. A special session would give them an opportunity to evaluate programs and to look for ways to free up money, he said. "It's a good idea for them to approach it sooner rather than later," Dimmick said. Larson said primarily legislators would be dealing with the funding crisis hampering the Department of Corrections (DOC), facing the prospect of furloughing employees. John Thompson, a spokesman with the DOC pubic information unit, said unless preventative action is taken, beginning Dec. 1 the agency will
furlough 4,850 employees for 23 days, freeing up about $14 million in funds. "We're already short staffed," Thompson said. Mike Ray, director of the House media division, said before signing off on the idea, House Speaker Larry Adair wants to know the agenda. "We need to have a blueprint laid out," Ray said. Under the state constitution, a special session must meet a minimum of five days, the time it takes for a piece of legislation to be processed, Ray said. Some existing pieces of legislation could be processed in one day, he said. Weekly administrative costs for a special session would be about $100,000, Ray said. "The speaker's position has always been that there is not enough money out there to fix all of the budget problems," Ray said. There is $72 million left in the state's Rainy Day Fund, said Mike Fina, a House media division spokesman. During the campaign, Henry supported a state-run lottery. After lottery revenue reaches a projected level, about $300 million would be earmarked for education. A portion of it would be used for college scholarships.
see Special Session page 5
New campus socialist organization addresses liberal issues. — Page 3
Broncho wrestling begins season smelling victory — Page 9