Friday, September 8, 2006
Contact: Spence Jackson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Encourages MOHELA Board to Approve Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative at Next Meeting
JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt said he was pleased that the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) Board had a good discussion on his Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative but was disappointed in the decision to postpone a formal vote.
“I am pleased they have set a new meeting date on Sept. 27 and encourage them to approve this forward-thinking initiative at that time,” Blunt said. “The Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative has tremendous support from 22 colleges and universities, the Board’s own attorneys, and bipartisan leaders in the Missouri General Assembly. It will give higher education the boost it needs and help provide good, family-supporting jobs for working families.”
The Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative will provide $335 million for capital improvement projects at colleges and universities throughout the state and $15 million for the Missouri Technology Corporation to assist with the commercialization of new technologies. In addition to the $350 million contributed by MOHELA the state will provide $25 million for student scholarships from general revenue to continue indefinitely and $60 million over a six-year period to fund Federally Qualified Health Centers.
The initiative includes a package of many of the capital improvement projects already approved by the Coordinating Board of Higher Education that include plant science research centers, health science research and education centers, business incubators and the renovation of other spaces that will support the training and research of professionals in the sciences, which includes doctors and nurses.
The Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative was one of the main issues of debate and discussion during the last legislative session. The governor personally traveled the state and met with university leaders, newspaper editorial boards and journalists to discuss this landmark proposal.
MOHELA held public hearings as did the attorney general and the Missouri General Assembly. As governor, Blunt has worked hard to improve the quality of higher education in Missouri. In tough economic times during his first year in office his budget held higher education harmless and last year provided a $20 million funding increase.
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