I have not submitted a Governmental Relations Update since March 9 thinking that if I waited I would have something specific to report. The Alabama House and Senate were scheduled to hold a joint hearing on the Education Budget Wednesday, but that has been postponed until next Wednesday. Therefore, I know little more than I did on March 9, but here is what I do know.

The Governor's FY 2010 proposed education budget includes $107.6 million for USA, a 2.93 percent cut from FY 2009 funding after proration. In the proposed budget, most all segments of education are cut 2.93 percent. If the budget passes as recommended, K-12 will have been cut 13.8 percent from the FY 2008 budget, while USA and the state's other public universities will have received cuts of 23 percent for the same period.

Federal stimulus money for education stabilization is on the way. Alabama will receive $596.4 million for K-12, community colleges and universities to be used through FY 2011. It appears that the funds can be distributed over three years (FY 2009, 2010 and 2011) or over two years (FY 2010 and 2011). We should know in what years the funds will be distributed and how much each university will receive by next Wednesday.

While the stimulus funding will be very helpful, it should be pointed out that it goes away at the end of FY 2011 and falls far short of the $32.1 million cut USA will have received since FY 2008 if the FY 2010 budget is enacted as introduced.

On a positive note (and we all know how positive I can be), Trustee Ken Simon was confirmed by the Alabama Senate Wednesday. Mr. Simon is a 1976 graduate of USA and practices law in Birmingham. Congratulations to Mr. Simon.