Why more is always better in Senate oversight of higher education

Some senators were apparently so concerned over the recent multimillion-dollar contract buyout of fired University of Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith that yesterday they named an amendment after him.

The “Tubby Smith” proposal for the U would prohibit state appropriations from going toward the buyouts at the U’s athletic department.

The Senate adopted it, even though it seemed unnecessary. A tweet by an Associated Press showed the proof:

kpottermn: #UMN staff — Tubby Smith Amendment (bans state $ from buying out coaches) is already law – bit.ly/13jnUHa #mnleg

About the blogger

Alex Friedrich

afriedrich@mpr.org

Alex Friedrich reports on higher education issues for MPR News. Among the stories he has covered: the fall of the Berlin Wall, aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, 2003 Moscow suicide bombing and 2004 presidential elections in the Republic of Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s in European political economy from the London School of Economics.