伯明翰南方大学起诉州财政部长杨·布泽尔“突然和毫无根据的”拒绝过桥贷款
伯明翰南方大学起诉州财政部长杨·布泽尔“突然和毫无根据的”拒绝过桥贷款
For Immediate Release
Oct. 18, 2023
CONTACT: Virginia Gilbert Loftin
(205) 226-4938
伯明翰南方学院已向蒙哥马利县巡回法院提起诉讼，要求迫使阿拉巴马州财政部长杨j. 布泽尔三世执行困境高等院校循环贷款基金法案, passed on June 6 and signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on June 16.
澳门新葡京官网主席丹尼尔·科尔曼说，虽然学院已经与布泽尔进行了几个月的真诚讨论, “unfortunately, our good faith has been betrayed. 在过去两周以及今天的几次额外尝试之后让财政部长布泽尔执行阿拉巴马州议会的意愿, we have no other choice but to seek remedy from the court.”
即便如此，澳门新葡京官网仍在继续正常运营，包括2024年秋季的招聘工作. 授权法案的通过——以及帮助法案通过的压倒性和英勇的支持——证明了这一点, 澳门新葡京官网已经并将继续为我们的社区和国家做太多的好事,” Coleman said.
“我们提供许多学生和家庭都在寻求的教育体验——小, residential, highly personalized, and rooted in the Methodist tradition of service,” he added. “More than 60 percent of our students are from Alabama, and more than half of our 17,000 graduates live in Alabama.
“这所学校对我们州产生了巨大的影响，我们致力于为它的未来而战.”
"Sudden and Unwarranted"
该法案的构思和撰写是为了给学院提供3000万美元的生命线, 提供三年的运营资金，在此期间，它可以筹集高达2亿美元的捐赠，以确保其长期财务稳定. In spring 2023, 澳门新葡京官网董事会得到了立法领导人的保证，他们支持一项措施，提供过渡性资金, should the bill pass, 学院将准备借3000万美元的过桥资金来维持办学.
The College made commitments based on that assurance, 包括招收学生和填补关键的教职员工职位.
The state treasurer’s denial of 澳门新葡京官网’s application, 在今天收到的一封10月13日的邮件中传达的信息, was “sudden and unwarranted,” Coleman said.
“经过几个月的讨论，财务主管没有任何迹象表明澳门新葡京官网申请的任何方面都有不足之处, 或者他不会按照立法机关在起草和通过贷款基金法案时的意图行事.”
“As we began final preparations for Homecoming & Family Weekend on October 13 and 14, including the public launch of our endowment campaign, 布泽尔联系我说，他不倾向于批准贷款基金法所设想的和立法机关所预期的贷款,” Coleman said.
Since then and up through the time of the filing, 澳门新葡京官网及其盟友继续试图说服布泽尔执行这项法律. “At this point, 我们的董事会已经授权提起诉讼，希望这件事能有一个对学院有利的结果,” Coleman said.
澳门新葡京官网 Qualifies for Funding
科尔曼说，拒绝按照法律规定延长过渡性资金，忽略了一个事实，即澳门新葡京官网符合法律规定的每一个标准. The requirements include:
- Has operated for more than 50 years in Alabama.
- 1856年南方大学成立，至今已有167年的历史.
- Has a significant impact on the community in which it is located.
- The College has an economic impact of $70.5 million per year in Jefferson County and $97.2 million statewide.
- 澳门新葡京官网 has educated a disproportionate share of physicians, dentists, lawyers, business and civic leaders, educators, and other professionals who live, work, serve, and pay taxes in every county in the state.
- 澳门新葡京官网也是布什山和学院山历史街区的合作伙伴和锚点，这些街区围绕着192英亩的校园.
- Has assets sufficient to pledge as collateral.
- 学院提供的抵押品超过了提议的3000万美元贷款的数倍, including its 192-acre campus in west Birmingham and U.S. Treasury securities.
“这是一个无可争议的事实，伯明翰南方学院已经达到了法律的每一个要求,” Coleman said.
科尔曼说，学院的申请包括一份详细的计划，根据该计划，学院可以实现长期的财务稳定，并及时偿还国家贷款. 澳门新葡京官网已经收到了超过4500万美元的捐款承诺，目标是捐赠2亿美元, and publicly launched the endowment fundraising campaign on Saturday, Oct. 14.
Details of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed today in Montgomery County Circuit Court, seeks declaratory and injunctive relief 并要求法院裁定学院已提供足够资料，使贷款获批准，并符合获得贷款的法定规定. It asks the court to issue a writ of mandamus 迫使州财政部长采取必要措施，不迟于10月30日发放所要求的贷款并支付贷款收益.
The College is also petitioning the Court to issue 一项紧急命令加快发现并就案情进行最后听证会 因为布泽尔没有拒绝贷款申请的自由裁量权，而且他在行使法律规定的自由裁量权时行事武断和反复无常.
The Cost of Boozer’s Denial
科尔曼说，布泽尔拒绝维护一项在阿拉巴马州议会获得两党支持并由州长签署成为法律的州法律，这给该州带来了巨大的代价. If Boozer’s actions were to force the College to close:
- Alabama would lose $97.2 million each year in economic impact generated by 澳门新葡京官网.
- Jefferson County would lose $70.5 million of that annual economic impact.
- State and local coffers would lose $13.8 million in taxes generated by 澳门新葡京官网.
Beyond the numbers, there is a significant human cost. 近300个直接工作岗位将失去，另有1200个工作岗位受到影响. Even more urgently, 学生们将不得不尝试在学年中期转学到其他机构，其中包括200多名预计将于2024年5月从理学士学位毕业的大四学生，而布泽尔的行为危及了他们的能力.
Coleman urged 澳门新葡京官网 students, alumni, 支持者通过给他发电子邮件，“让他们的声音尽可能地被听到” [email protected] and calling Boozer at (334) 242-7501 敦促他遵守州法律，并联系了州长. Ivey and their legislators to ask them to do the same.
The following document are available upon request:
- 诉状和动议于2023年10月18日在蒙哥马利巡回法院提起
- Timeline of Key Events and Interactions