POLYTECHNIC BUILDING IS ON TRACK AGAIN

With good news from the courts and the governor's office this past week, Southeast Missouri State University's plan to build a polytechnic building is back on track. On Monday, Gov. Mel Carnahan released $129.3 million in capital-improvement funds for Missouri's colleges and universities. The money is earmarked for 28 projects on 19 campuses. Included is $5.6 million for construction of the industrial technology building at Southeast.

The money was included in the budget approved by the Legislature last year, but Carnahan withheld the money because of a lawsuit filed by the state auditor's office. The Carnahan administration said the state would have had to refund the money to taxpayers if the state auditor's office had been successful in its suit.

The auditor's office argued that the state's share of riverboat casino admission fees should be counted as part of total state revenues, which would have increased Hancock Amendment refunds to taxpayers. The courts ruled against the auditor's office regarding all but a small amount of the gambling revenue. Therefore, the vast majority of this money isn't included in total state revenue and so doesn't trigger very much larger refunds.

Dr. Dale Nitzschke, president of Southeast, said the funding would allow the university to construct an industrial technology building that will serve the entire region. "It will give us a major tool to work with business and industry throughout our Southeast region," Nitzschke said. Dr. Nitzschke is right. Many existing industries will be aided in expansion plans by the benefits that will come with the polytechnic building. It can't be anything but a plus in attracting new industrial plants to our area, as well.

Otto and Della Seabaugh of Cape Girardeau led the way for this happy result. The Seabaughs generously agreed last year to donate $1 million toward the project. Dr. Nitzschke says the university has also received a $250,000 donation for the polytechnic project and several smaller gifts. We congratulate the Seabaughs, the legislators from both parties who worked on the appropriation, the governor who included it in his budget and the leadership at the university who worked to bring us this far.