Lawmakers struggle U board members

Published 9:50 am Wednesday, February 11, 2015

ST. PAUL — State lawmakers are struggling to choose candidates for the University of Minnesota’s governing board.

Legislators on the House and Senate higher education committees met Tuesday to choose five candidates for the open seats on the university’s Board of Regents. Those candidates will likely go before the joint Legislature later this month.

Regents oversee high-level policy at the University and hire its president. They typically serve two six-year terms.

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Lawmakers are supposed to recommend one candidate for each seat. But the House and Senate members couldn’t agree Tuesday afternoon and decided to choose two for the state’s first and third congressional districts.

The recommendations aren’t binding and legislators can add more candidates to the mix before the final vote.