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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1981)
daily "emerald Vol. 82, No. 75 Eugene, Oregon 97403 Friday, January 9, 1981 Focus on funds for library, faculty University readies for budget battle By BILL MANNY Of th« Emerald Higher education factions are readying for the budgetary battle to begin Monday when the Oregon Legis lature opens. Particular groups will be fighting different battles. But the war is the same. “It’s all budget,” says Curt Simic, University vice-president for public ser vices. Finances bordering the des perate are shared by all of the State System of Higher Education’s eight in stitutions. Simic will be acting as “legislative liaison” for the University. In preceding sessions the University has enlisted journalism Emeritus Prof. Charles Dun can and English Prof. Stoddard Malarkey as legislative liaisons. Malarkey will represent the State Board of Higher Education as legislative lobbyist for the second consecutive ses sion. He will be assisted by Dick Zita, the state system’s public services director “They'll spend a substantial amount of their time up there” in Salem, says Chancellor Roy Lieuallen. The pair will meet with legislators, provide information on state system is sues and keep track of legislation that might affect the state system, Lieuallen says. Actual testimony will be given by Lieuallen, Vice Chancellor Bill Lemman and the eight institution presidents. Lieuallen plans to spend a healthy chunk of the upcoming months in Salem and expects to testify daily during review of the state system’s budget. He’ll be ready to appear any time legislation is proposed that will affect the state system as well. Lobbyists Malarkey and Zita will spend most of their time “tracking legis lation” once the session is underway. “With the sheer magnitude of legisla tion," says Lieuallen, “that’s a full-time job." They won’t behave as business or industry lobbyists, Lieuallen says — there will be no wining and dining lawmakers. Malarkey’s experience as former University liaison will be a distinct plus for the University, Simic says. The University’s hope for this ses sion is the grass roots “legislative network” Simic’s office has developed It’s a group of alumni and University “friends” who plan to pitch the Universi ty and higher education at their state representatives. “We’ve spent quite a bit of time,” Simic says of developing the network over much of the past year "We think (funding) is a grass roots issue,” he says. The vice president says he’s optimistic for its success. Simic says he’ll focus on lobbying for funding for the University’s financially desperate library and "program im provements.” At the top of the list is money for increasing law school faculty salaries. Salaries at the law school for full professors currently rank near the bot tom among the nation’s law schools, Simic says. For Oregon faculty, the prime goal is better pay, says University economics department head James Tattersall who is the President of the Association of Oregon Faculty. “Our top priority is improving on the governor’s recommendation for salar ies,” Tattersall says, “which is only a 6-percent increase over the next two years. That, of course, is dismal compared to inflation.” The Salem-based Public Affairs Counsel is lobbying for the AOF. Tatter sall says an AOF executive committee drafts policy and commissions the coun sel to lobby for its priorities. Tattersall says the AOF supports the 13-percent, one-year increase proposed by the state board to bring Oregon faculty salaries in line after several years lagging behind shooting inflation. Following their top priority, Tatter sall says the AOF supports “insuring the passage of the overall higher education budget.” Especially important to the AOF, he says, are funding building im provements, funding for frozen faculty positions and limiting tuition increases to 10 percent. The governor has recom mended a 30-percent, tuition hike over the next two yeEirs. Faculty members are not prohibited from lobbying either as private citizens or instructors, says Lieuallen, contrary to common belief. But any person who File graphic purports to speak for the state system is required to have the chancellor's auth orization. Lieuallen says presidents of each of the state system’s eight institutions have been given authorization to represent the state system. Individuals represent ing the system presidents — like Simic — will be able to testify on behalf of in dividual institutions, but need the chan cellor’s OK when speaking for the state system Andrew Page Page's attorney seeks dismissal By RICHARD WAGONER Of (he Emerald Eugene attorney Ken Morrow is seeking possible dismissal of first-degree sodomy and coercion charges against former University football player Andrew Page. Morrow, who has represented several defendants involved in the continuing University athletic scandal, filed challenges to the sodomy and coercion charges this week in Lane County Circuit Court, according to the county Criminal Records Office. Page pleaded innocent earlier this week to charges of sodomy, attempted rape, attempted sodomy, sexual abuse and two counts of burglary. He did not enter a plea to the coercion charge. Page, 20, appeared in court voluntarily after fighting extradition from Hawaii since last August. Morrow's challenges will be heard in Lane County Circuit Court Jan. 19. The maximum sentence upon conviction for each charge of sodomy and first-degree burglary is 20 years in prison and a $2,500 fine. The attempted rape and attempted sodomy charges each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine if the defendant is convicted. Both the sexual abuse and coercion charges are punishable by five years in prison and a $2,500 fine upon conviction. Meanwhile, the court trial of University football player Dwight Robertson on similar sex charges has been scheduled for Jan. 27. Robertson’s trial may be the first of the four University players and former players indicted last summer on sex-offense charges by a Lane County grand jury. Former player Reggie Young was to stand trial this week, but Deputy Lane County District Attorney Darryl Larson filed a motion to postpone the proceedings pending an appeal of the coercion charges dismissal. Coercion charges against Young and Roberston were dismissed last October when a Lane Circuit court judge ruled that part of the Oregon coercion statute is unconstitutional. According to grand jury indictments, the four players are charged with acting together to force an 18-year-old woman to commit sodomy on Nov. 14, 1978, and then threatening to reveal damaging infor mation about her if she reported the incident.
