State might increase higher ed. funds
Published March 16, 2007
While MU students are focusing on midterms and projects before spring recess, Missouri legislators completed a preliminary budget for deliberation in the House before their spring break began after the conclusion of Thursday's sessions.
The House Budget Committee completed a preliminary version of Missouri's $21 billion budget for the 2008 fiscal year after two weeks of meetings.
Committee chairman Rep. Allen Icet, R-Wildwood, said Gov. Matt Blunt's recommendation for millions of dollars more for education was factored into the budget.
"For the most part, we have accepted the governor's recommendation," Icet said.
Icet said though he was unclear on an exact figure, more than $1.1 billion of the 2008 budget would go to higher education, a 4.2 percent increase from last year.
Rep. Paul LeVota, D-Independence, who serves on the budget committee, said $38 million of the funds will go directly to the universities, and the remainder will go to state programs related to higher education.
The increase comes after several years of anxiety for higher education in the state. Last year, colleges and universities received a 2 percent increase, which many Democrats said was not enough because it did not keep up with the rate of inflation. Funding for higher education in the 2002 fiscal year was $458 million, which was followed by two consecutive years of budget cuts. Since the 2005 fiscal year, funding for higher education has steadily increased.
The UM system received $412 million from the state last year.
In January, Blunt said he wanted a $17 million increase for the UM system.
"We continue to be grateful for this free investment in public higher education," UM spokesman Scott Charton said. "We appreciate the continued investments that Missourians make as we work to ensure access, affordability and accountability."
Rep. Danielle Moore, R-Fulton, a member of the budget committee, said she expects the bill to be debated by the House within three days after the recess, which ends March 26.
Icet said most of the week following the conclusion of the break will be spent deliberating the new budget.
"I expect two good, long days debating on the budget," Icet said.
The House Rules Committee must approve the bill before it is debated on the floor.
Regardless of long meetings, occurring sometimes twice a day, Icet said this year's series of budget meetings were "very successful."
"Its all about prioritization because there's never enough money to do everything you want," Icet said. "There are a lot of ideas out there."
Another piece of legislation in Jefferson City that relates to MU and higher education funding is the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative, which if passed, would fund $350 million in capital improvements for colleges and universities statewide. In the latest plan, which would sell portions of the state loan agency, MU is slated to receive $50 million, mostly for agricultural projects and a new cancer treatment center.