Higher education budget in its final stages
Members of the House and Senate met Thursday to begin talks on higher education funding.
Published April 29, 2005
On Tuesday, the Missouri Senate approved $48 million in cuts to higher education for the next fiscal year, including an $18 million cut to the UM system.
The Senate approved a 5 percent reduction to House Bill 3, which appropriates higher education money.
Both the House and Gov. Matt Blunt advocate flat appropriations for higher education
Since the House and Senate passed different versions of the bill, the budget has moved to a conference committee to iron out differences.
The committee began discussion Thursday afternoon.
Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia, was one of the 10 senators to vote against the cuts.
"Obviously, I’m not pleased with the 5 percent cut," Graham said. "I’m hoping we can get that money back in conference."
Graham said he spoke with his colleagues on the committee and is hopeful they will restore the funding.
In addition to the chairman and vice chairman of the House Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, six other legislators sit on the conference committee. There are six Republicans and four Democrats, including Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia.
"I feel very honored to represent the school in my district and schools around the state," Baker said.
Baker said the proposed cuts upset her.
"I’m very distressed by the proposed cuts," Baker said. "I’m hoping we can turn that back to the House position, which is a flat appropriation."
Baker said other committee representatives share her desire for funding levels equal to the last fiscal year.
"The House position is going to be well-defended (in the conference committee)," she said.
Baker said Blunt’s support for flat higher education appropriations is critical. Even if Blunt doesn’t hold much sway over the committee, he will have final say on the budget in the form of a line-item veto, Baker said.
Blunt spokeswoman Jessica Robinson noted that Blunt recommended more than $600 million in cuts, but none directed to higher education. She said she could not gauge Blunt’s reaction to the Senate proposal.
Robinson said Blunt and his staff are working to make sure the bill passed out of conference committee is one he wants to sign. She said he is in constant contact with legislators working on the budget.
If Blunt were to line-item veto any portion of the budget, that program would not receive any funding because Blunt would not have the power to write anything back in, Robinson said.
Graham said he doesn’t believe Blunt would veto the bill if the cuts pass through the conference committee.
"He’s shown a willingness to break campaign promises before," Graham said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if he did it again."
