The proposed fiscal 2018 budget for the North Dakota University System office is $65.8 million.

That’s down from $91.7 million in fiscal 2017.

Of that figure -- $4.2 million is spent on governance. The rest goes to student grants, technology and other projects.

But some members of the Board of Higher Education’s Budget and Finance Committee say there’s some mis-information about this line item.

Board member Nick Hacker said some people believe all of that goes to administration.

The latest report from the Office of Management and Budget shows income tax collections in May were about $19.8 million lower than the March revenue forecast.

"We have found that there were about 28,000 fewer filers than had filed in the previous year," said OMB director Pam Sharp. "Of those filers, the average adjusted gross income went from $71,000 to $68,500 per return."

Sharp said that reflects the slowdown in the state’s oil economy in 2016.

The Legislative Management Committee is preparing to take Gov. Doug Burgum to court.

The issue is whether or not Burgum can veto conditions placed on certain appropriations without vetoing the expenditure.  In a few of the bills he used his line-item veto on, Burgum took out some language – and left the money in the bill.

The Committee vote was unanimous.

The president of Minot State University is raising concerns about the University System’s move to “per credit hour” tuition rates.

Steve Shirley told the Board of Higher Education’s Budget and Finance Committee – tuition rates are “banded” at Minot State, as well as UND and NDSU.

"That allows a student, whether they're taking anywhere from  12 to 18 credits to pay a flat rate," Shirley said. He said under the new tuition policy, NDSU and UND would be able to keep that “banded” tuition – but the others likely would not.