Budget talks still in early stages
A flat higher education proposal might depend on withholding revenue projections.
Published Feb. 18, 2005
Various House members working on the budget said this week that discussions on the budget are just beginning and it is still too early to know the fate of higher education.
Gov. Matt Blunt's proposed budget contains a flat appropriation for higher education, which means higher education would get the same amount of money it received last year. History shows, however, that results do not always jibe with the proposal.
House Budget Committee Chairman Brad Lager, R-Maryville, said the budget is still being discussed in the appropriations subcommittees.
"We have all the (appropriations) committees meeting right now," Lager said. "Those will continue at least through the month of February."
Lager said that once each of the appropriations committees submitted its budget, it would be sent to the House Budget Committee for discussion.
Rep. Kathlyn Fares, R-Webster Groves, is the chairwoman for the Appropriations-Education Subcommittee. She said discussions about the education part of the budget would begin Monday.
"We have heard from both departments within our group," Fares said.
The two departments within the subcommittee deal with K-12 education and higher education.
Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, is one of the two Columbia representatives on the Appropriations-Education Subcommittee.
Baker said her priority for the education budget would be holding firm for a flat higher education appropriation.
In addition to a flat appropriation, Baker said she would advocate for need-based tuition assistance and funding for health profession shortage areas.
"These are not only priorities for my district, but because (MU has) a statewide mission, they should be statewide priorities as well," Baker said.
Lager estimated the budget committee might begin to work with bills in early March, but he did not give a time frame.
"We don't have any target date," Lager said. "We just want to make sure we move forward in a very methodical manner. We're not going to rush the process."
Blunt's proposal is $239 million over a balanced budget, and the government must find a way to withhold that.
Lager said legislators have been aware of the withholding throughout the process, and budget committee members are looking for items to eliminate to meet that goal.
In addition to the $239 million withholding, some issues in the budget linger, Baker said.
"There are structural budget imbalances," Baker said. "There is some question what the revenue projections will be."
If revenue projections fall short, that money will have to be made up from some part of the budget.