Legislation that would expand a grant program for state universities and colleges to private schools received a mixed response from Minot legislators during Senate passage last Thursday.

Senate Bill 2030 allows the University of Jamestown and the University of Mary to participate in raising scholarship money only in the North Dakota University System’s Challenge Grant program. The program, established in 2013 for the state’s 11 institutions of higher learning, provides matching funds for locally raised donations, often directed toward student scholarships.

“I am of the feeling that we are obligated to take care of the institutions that are within the state budget,” Sen. Karen Krebsbach, R-Minot said at Saturday’s legislative forum, sponsored by the Minot Area Chamber EDC. “How far is this going to go?”

She said tribal colleges, barber schools, hair academies and business colleges could be asking for similar consideration.

It’s going to get so diluted that we are not going to be able to take care of what we need to do for the in-state institutions,” she said.

“These private institutions are creating taxpayers for our state at no cost to the taxpayers of our state so I don’t see why we can’t allow them to improve their scholarship dollars by becoming part of this,” Sen. Randy Burckhard, R-Minot, said.

Sens. Oley Larsen and David Hogue, both R-Minot, also voted in favor on the Senate floor.

The original bill for continued challenge grants did not include the private schools. The Senate Appropriations Committee declined to add the amendment so Sen. Terry Wanzek, R-Jamestown, proposed it on the floor, where it passed 24-23.

The Senate also adopted an amendment disqualifying any institution from receiving Challenge Grant money if they partnered with or accepted grants from an individual or organization that performs abortions. The Senate adopted the amendment, offered by Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edingburg, using the verification vote process, in which the vote board remains dark so legislators’ votes aren’t disclosed or individually recorded.

The institution impacted is North Dakota State University, which has been offered a grant from Planned Parenthood to train teachers in talking with students about sex.

The bill passed 29-18 and now is in the House.