Springfield school's change of name fails in legislature

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Legislation to change the name of Southwest Missouri State University failed Wednesday in the House after a large number of previously supportive lawmakers switched to the opposition.

Representatives voted 81-70 against renaming the Springfield school as Missouri State University, a more prestigious-sounding label that supporters said better reflected the school's rapidly expanding status and student enrollment.

At one point, the bill had 102 House supporters -- 20 more than the number needed for passage. But 40 of the original sponsors either voted "no" or abstained -- a reversal of rare magnitude.

Support eroded for a variety reasons. Perhaps foremost was an aggressive lobbying effort by alumni of the University of Missouri-Columbia, who claimed the Springfield school's proposed new name would detract from their alma mater's prestige and future state funding. Others worried about a similar effect on the state's remaining universities with regional names.

Still others backed off as the matter became controversial, and some didn't like an effort in the Senate to link the Springfield name change to approval of a bond plan for the University of Missouri.

Southwest Missouri State University president John Keiser expressed disappointment Wednesday and claimed many opponents were motivated by jealousy of his university's success.

House members had worked late into the night Tuesday, eventually giving the bill first-round approval when House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, R-Warson Woods, ruled there were more "ayes" than "nos" in a screaming voice vote.

Hanaway, a supporter of the bill, said she allowed the 11 hours of debate only because other supporters assured her there were enough votes to pass the bill. A frustrated Hanaway said after Wednesday's vote that she has no plans to bring the bill back up for reconsideration in the House.

Seeking a new vote

Yet lead sponsor Rep. B.J. Marsh, R-Springfield, said some Springfield area lawmakers are exploring a revote. And Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau, who was the lead sponsor of the Senate version, also remained optimistic about eventually passing the bill.

The Senate version endured a 24-hour filibuster over five days before finally receiving first-round approval last week. The filibuster ended only after Kinder agreed to delay a final Senate vote on the bill until both chambers had passed a bond plan backed by the University of Missouri.

But the deal may have hurt the name-change legislation in the House.

Rep. Jodi Stefanick, an original sponsor of the bill, said she lost sleep over the issue before finally deciding to vote "no" because of the link to the bond plan.

"I don't think the state is at a point and time where it is fiscally responsible to go ahead with more bonding," said Stefanick, R-Ballwin.

Rep. Fred Kratky, another original sponsor, remained undecided until literally the last few seconds, then also voted "no." He said the name change initially appeared minor, but he started having second thoughts about the potential cost and began receiving opposition e-mails and phone calls from constituents who were alumni of the Columbia campus.

"There was a tremendous amount of pressure, really from both sides," Kratky said.

Others dropped their support precisely because of the controversy.

Rep. Robin Wright Jones, D-St. Louis, another original sponsor, said she feared support of the Springfield school's name change could endanger her own plans to elevate Harris-Stowe State College to a university.

The University of Missouri did not take an official position on the Southwest Missouri State name change, but president Elson Floyd did suggest new academic and financial restrictions on a renamed Springfield school to decrease its competition with the four-campus university system.

University of Missouri spokesman David Russell said Wednesday that "it's unfortunate that we've had to engage in a discussion along these lines," when all universities are in need of more state financial support.