July 19,2002

Dear Colleagues:

Attached is a message from MTA lobbyist Arline Isaacson concerning the higher education budget for FY 03. Please note her comments about the funding of the remaining higher education contracts, the preservation of 85/15 for state employee health insurance, and the budget process from now until the end of July.

If you are unable to download the attached spreadsheet, please let me know and I will get a hard copy to you.

In addition, the constitutional convention adjourned without taking a vote on the Defense of Marriage Act, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have eliminated our rights to collectively bargain any "benefits of marriage" for domestic partnerships. The MSCA Board of Directors unanimously opposed the DOMA petition at its September 2001 meeting, and I would like to thank Arline publicly for her work on this important victory for civil rights and our collective bargaining rights.

Please feel free to forward this information to your membership if you wish. It will also be posted on the MSCA webpage.

Pat Markunas
MSCA President

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2002
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7/23/02