The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, April 19, 1982, Image 1
Daily University of Nebraska-Lincoln Monday, April 19, 1982 Vol. 109 No. 65 Lincoln, Nebraska Copyright 1982 Daily Nebraskan UNL employees to feel effect of pay raise veto By Alice Hrnicek A state appropriation of $148.8 million for NU's 1982-83 fiscal year survived Gov. Charles Thone !s veto ax as he chopped away at other parts of the state budget last week. But his veto. Wednesday of a 5 percent pay raise for all state employees, to have started Oct. 1, will be felt by NU employees when the raises begin Jan. 1, 1983 instead. The Nebraska Legislature's Appropriat ions Committee and other legislators fail ed to override the $3 .8 million cut in state employees salaries Friday, the last day of the legislative session. The 26-20 override vote was four votes short of the required number for passage. ITie budget breakdown among campuses is: UNL, $80.4 million or 54 percent of the total, including $26.2 million for the In stitute of Agriculture and Natural Re sources; UNO, $21 5 million or 14.5 per cent; NU Medical Center, $43.4 million or 29.2 percent and NU Central Administrat ion, $2.7 million or 1 & percent. The budget was slightly reduced from the Appropriations Committee's original proposal of $149.7 million in state general funds. Concessions were made by the Legislature after Thone threatened a veto if the budget wasn't trimmed. At the NU Board of Regents meeting Friday, the regents set salary guidelines to meet the governor's order. The board also approved for 1982 -1983 a 12 percent increase in medical supplies for the NU Medical Center, a 16.7 percent increase in purchased utilities and more money for veterinary and optometry con tracts with schools in other states. The Legislature provided $222,400 for optometry and $1.6 million for veterinary contracts. The university will contribute about $21 more a month to each employee's health insurance. More specific salary adjustments are ex pected to be approved by the June regents meeting, Randy Haack, NU budget director said. In addition, the Legislature set aside $250,000 for NU renovation, life safety and improvements and energy conservation. Regents approve increase of $4 in UNL student fees By Duane Retzlaff The NU Board of Regents approved Fund B University Program and Facilities Fees allocations Friday that will increase UNL and NU Medical Center student fees by about $4 per semester. The Fund B student fees will increase from $71 .01 to $75.06 per semester. Medi cal Center student fees will increase from $30 to $34 per semester, while UNO student fees will remain at $43 per semest er for full-time students. The student fee increases, usually marked by much discussion, were passed without comment. UNL Student Regent Dan Wedekind said the increase was justifi ed. The regents voted 7-0 in favor of the compensation and operating budget guide lines for 1982-83, including the university employee pay increases. Regent Robert Simmons of Scottsbluff was absent from the meeting, which was at the NU Field Laboratory at Mead. A ceremony after the meeting dedicated the transfer of the Mead facility from the U.S. government to the university. Pay increases delayed The pay increases, usually made effect ive July 1, will be delayed until Jan. 1, 1983. The Legislature failed Friday to override Gov. Charles Thone 's veto of a bill that would make state employee pay in creases effective Oct. 1 . As a result, the projected 5 percent NU employee pay increase is actually a 25 per cent increase. In a prepared statement, NU President Ronald Roskens said, "Deferring salary in creases until January obviously is dis appointing. At the university it is addition ally unfortunate because faculty and staff have been especially productive. And I am particularly conscious of the impact of the delay on persons in the lower salary brackets." Roskens said, "At the same time, I can not argue that we must have salary in creases at all costs. The university has been a loyal partner of the state in good times and bad and shall continue to be. "That means we will share in the bene fits when financial conditions improve, and must absorb our share of woes and blows these days." The regents also approved the plans for the Wick Alumni Center, which is funded totally from private sources. Appointment approved UNL Chancellor Martin Massengale re commended the appointment of John Strong as vice chancellor of academic affairs, a move approved by the board. Strong, former dean of the UNL College of Law, has served as interim vice chancel lor since July. Strong replaces Robert Rut ford, who left to become president of the University of Texas at Dallas. John Goebel, interim vice chancellor of Business and Finance, released a statement outlining the expenses for UNL for the 1982 Orange Bowl. The football team, with 238 people, re ceived 71 percent of the total expense allowance. The band, 289 people, received 17 per cent of the allowance, while the admini strative group with 31 people, received 7 percent. Five percent of the total allow ance, $29,534.58, was left over. Goebel emphasized that the money left over would not have been enough to send the band by plane to Miami and back. In addition, $14,000 was added to the univer sity's allowance that was not foreseen when the travel plans were made, Goebel said. Wedekind said students need to remember the 1981-82 Orange Bowl trip and in the future get involved early in the discussion of travel plans. Photo by D. Eric Kircher Brenda Hoffart crosses the finish line in the 20-meter dash. Hoffart participated in track and field events at the United Cerebral Palsey of Nebraska 1982 Sports Meet. Story on Page 2. DWI bill advocates minimum penalty, probation Editor's Note: A chart showing what happened to vari ous bills introduced in the Nebraska Legislature this past session, which ended Friday, and a story about a state stu dent loan program are on Pages 6 and 7. Sy Melinda N orris Sen. Larry Stoney of Omaha said he was not satisfied with LB568, which was passed by the Nebraska Legis lature Wednesday. It creates a minimum penalty for driv ing while intoxicated. Introduced by Sens. Rex Haberman of Imperial and Peter Hoagland of Omaha, LB568 will establish a Class W misdemeanor for DWI and create minimum penalties for violators. This bill, which awaits Gov. Charles Thone's signature, allows probation but prevents plea bargaining. Stoney, who introduced four bills in this legislative session pertaining to drunk driving and identification of minors, said he is not satisfied with granting work permits and probation to people convicted of DWI a second, third or fourth time. Stoney introduced legislation similar to LB568 creating minimum penalties for DWI. Stoney's priority bill LB870 would have prohibited plea bargaining and probation after the second and subsequent DWI convictions. The degree of punishment for people convicted of DWI would have depended on whether bodily injury or death was associat ed with the violation. Stoney said he was pleased that LB568 prevented plea bargaining so that the conviction will be on the person's record. "It (LB568) is an initial step which subsequent legis latures can build on," Stoney said. In addition to LB870, Stoney introduced several bills to discharge the use of alcohol by minors. LB869, introduced by Stoney and signed into law by Thone, creates minimum penalties for any person who manufactures, creates or alters any form of identification belonging to a minor. Anyone convicted of such a crime will be sentenced to a minimum of 24 hours in jail or fined $100 or both for the first offense. For the second or subsequent offense, the minimum sentence is 48 hours in jail or $500 or both. The law prohibits probation. Two of Stoney's bills, which died with the end of the legislative session, were LB809 and LB794. LB809 would have created a minimum penalty of 24 hours in jail or $100 or both for a minor purchasing liquor with a false or altered identification. This bill was placed on the consent calendar, which means it is a non-controversial bill and the Legislature has 12 minutes to approve it, Stoney said. However, Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha opposed the bill saying that it would take advantage of youth by punishing them for an activity which is acceptable for adults, Stoney said. Chambers also said the minimum penalty would discriminate against people who don't have the economic means to pay the fines, Stoney said. Chambers' filibuster lasted the entire 12 minutes, pre venting a vote and sending the bill to the bottom of general file, he said. LB794 would have required distinctive driver's licenses for minors. Although the bill did not pass this session, a law may not be needed to implement this process, Stoney said. Henry Peterson, director of Motor Vehicles, has shown an interest in administering the idea, Stoney said. Under LB794, the drivers license photos for minors would be profile pictures and the word "minor" would be printed on the front of the license.