The 2007 session of the Kentucky General Assembly has ended, and unfortunately WKU's major goals were not achieved. Our top priority going into the session was passage of a bill to restore a series of capital projects approved by the 2006 General Assembly, but vetoed by Governor Ernie Fletcher. There were seven WKU construction projects among those vetoed - three to be funded by the state and four to be funded by WKU. Prior to the 2007 session Governor Fletcher advocated for these projects to be restored and both House and Senate leadership agreed to do so, but unrelated issues came into play as the session advanced, and in the end they did not authorize any of the vetoed projects.

The consequence to WKU, our students and our constituents is that we will lose valuable time and add to the cost of these projects. No work can proceed on the renovation of the old College High Building – a project which was originally requested in 2000; design of a replacement building for Grise Hall which houses the Gordon Ford College of Business; and construction of labs in the Materials Characterization Center and the Institute for Combustion Science and Environmental Technology – two of our premier research facilities which represent our best opportunity for commercialization and technology transfer. Each of these projects is vital to WKU’s role as an economic driver for our region of Kentucky. This setback presents us with a number of challenges as we work with business and industry to address their applied research and workforce needs. Perhaps even more disappointing is that we will be further delayed on the start of projects that students have demanded to address the growth on our campus of more than 4,000 students over the last few years. Completion of north campus parking lots, expansion of the Preston Health and Activities Center and expansion and renovation of the Fine Arts Center will now be more expensive and will be delayed. Students who as freshmen expected to see these projects completed during their time at WKU likely now will only enjoy them as alumni.  In addition, Van Meter Hall, the first building constructed on WKU’s campus and completed in 1911, must wait even longer for a badly needed renovation. Recent estimates indicate that each of these projects will cost at least 15% more if action is not taken by the General Assembly in 2007.

To say the least this was a very disappointing legislative session for WKU. Although a number of important measures were addressed, none of the most significant initiatives impacting higher education were successful. Governor Fletcher has indicated in multiple public statements that he is considering calling the legislature back into session to complete their work. If he does, it is imperative to us that the vetoed projects be included on the call for a special session. It will be essential to have prior agreement between House and Senate leadership in order for this to occur. You can help by contacting Governor Ernie Fletcher at 502-564-2611; Senate President David Williams at 502-564-8100; and House Speaker Jody Richards at 502-564-8100 with a simple message – “Please act now to restore university projects vetoed in 2006 – come together to authorize this important work."

Legislative Tracking

The tracking sheet follows legislation that the Office of Governmental Relations tracked during the 2007 session because of the legislation's potential impact on WKU.

2007 Legislative Tracking Sheet