Alliance poised to lobby legislature

A coalition of interest groups that includes IU administrators has united to form an alliance to convince Indiana lawmakers that the future of the state depends on increased support for higher education. \nThe Alliance for Indiana's Future includes members from areas as diverse as the business sector, real estate, farming and Purdue University.\nThe unprecedented alliance has collaborated on a strategic plan for the state, announced last Friday, that members hope will be addressed by lawmakers during this session of the Indiana General Assembly. The plan includes a careful reassessment of property and business taxes and increased funding for state universities and public schools.\nBill Stephen, IU vice-president of public affairs, said the creation of the alliance will give legislators a fresh outlook on the importance of education to the well-being of the state.\n"The alliance's interest is making sure that the education issue is very clearly understood as integral to the future of the state," he said. "We hope to insure that the role of education is supported as the state moves forward. Rather than sit on the sidelines this legislative session, this coalition will say, 'let's not lose this opportunity to establish a vision for the state.'"\nThe vision outlined by the Alliance comes at a time when the state faces a budget crisis. \nAccording to Governor Frank O'Bannon's proposed budget plan, IU will bear some of the impact of the state's financial woes. About $11.6 million will be cut from technology and $13 million from construction.\nBut the alliance is not deterred, Stephen explained. \n"There are some risks, but this group believes that the risks of the state are far greater if nothing is done this legislative session," he said. \nAlthough IU faces a challenge this year, the alliance will hopefully play a major part in drumming up support for higher education, President Myles Brand said. \n"Indiana University is pleased to be part of this unprecedented coalition working toward Indiana's economic well being," Brand said in a statement. "We are here because we are all aware that our state faces a serious fiscal challenge. We must develop a vision for Indiana…if we lack vision, the economy will not thrive."\nThe coalition is composed of a curious array of groups that don't normally get along. \nBut according to Kirk White, director of Hoosiers for Higher Education and a voice in the alliance, the broad membership will not hamper the achievement of the group's goals. \n"It's a unique combination of groups that sometimes find themselves disagreeing with one another," White said. "This is one of the most difficult budget situations the state has been in, in 10 years, but they're starting the process of a challenging situation. In this case, they're all on the same page." \nAccording to IU trustee Stephen Ferguson, the respective groups of the alliance are bound together by a common economic interest. \n"The partnership makes sense because as you look at the twenty-first century, the kind of driving force that is going to make the economy go will be built around your research institutions," he said. "A state that has a good educational system probably doesn't have to worry about economic development. It will come"