House passes higher ed. increase
Published April 3, 2007
The Missouri House of Representatives passed the state's $21 billion budget for fiscal year 2008 on Friday. The budget includes a bill that will provide higher education with a $37.7 million increase in funding.
House Democrats said Missouri's colleges and universities, plus other critical measures, were not receiving enough funding in the new budget, which passed 86-69, mostly along party lines.
The Democrats proposed no amendments to the budget.
UM system spokesman Scott Charton said he is appreciative that the House considered higher education for an increase in budget appropriations.
"We are grateful for the reinvestment from the House in Missouri higher education," Charton said. "We're moving in the right direction, and we appreciate the consideration of lawmakers who realize how important higher education will be to Missouri's economic development and to its citizens."
Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, said the increases will bring funding back up to the same level provided in the 2000 fiscal year, but the UM system is now educating more students so funding should be even higher.
Rep. Jeff Harris, D-Columbia said the governor should have considered the Coordinating Board for Higher Education's suggestion for a 12.6 percent increase in funding for colleges and universities. The UM system also had hoped to see an increase of the same amount.
This year's budget will increase higher education funding by 4.2 percent.
"We would have liked to have seen the full amount recommended by the Coordinating Board for Higher Education," Baker said.
Baker said funding for higher education next year would not keep pace with inflation, thus causing tuition to rise.
Baker said Missouri is ranked 47th in the U.S. for per capita funding for higher education.
Harris said Gov. Matt Blunt has removed $200 million from the budget to be kept in a reserve fund. He said money could be used to provide the necessary means to higher education and other important concerns, but House members could not amend the appropriation because the money was technically not included in the budget.
The budget bills will go to the Senate for debate and must be passed before it goes to Blunt for approval.