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.
