Topeka ? A bill to help build research facilities at Kansas University and two other schools was quickly pulled from the House debate schedule Wednesday when it became apparent the measure was going to be used as a bargaining chip in several other issues.

House Speaker Kent Glasscock, a Manhattan Republican, said the legislation instead will be taken up probably today.

“In the House, never say anything is for sure,” he said.

The proposal would authorize $110 million in bonds to help build a KU biomedical center, food-safety lab at Kansas State University and aviation facility at Wichita State University.

The measure has widespread vocal support from leading lawmakers, but many groups of legislators said they wanted commitments on other issues before they would support it.

Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, a bill supporter, said some legislators don’t want to vote on the measure until the Legislature tends to more immediate higher education budget concerns.

“I think some people questioned the timing,” of voting on the research bill, Ballard said.

Lawmakers face a record revenue shortfall now estimated at $600 million. A budget built on available state revenues would short universities and colleges by $15 million, in addition to failing to provide $45 million promised earlier as part of a higher education reform.

Kansas Board of Regents Chairman Clay Blair, who has pushed for the research facilities bill, and several lawmakers said they had heard that many House members wanted to make sure the Senate approved a House redistricting bill before they would vote on sending the research bill to the Senate.

After the House skipped debate on the bill, Blair and Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing, the bill’s sponsor, went into Glasscock’s office to confer privately.

Other lawmakers said they had heard there would be an attempt to add other amendments to the bill, including ones that would prohibit cloning research at the universities, and one that would require contractors on the projects to pay the local prevailing wage for labor.

“I think we’ll see a lot of interesting amendments,” Glasscock said. “We’re reaching that time of the session where it’s natural to be thinking of the end of the session,” he said.

But Glasscock, who supports the bill, declined to say what would change from Wednesday to today to ensure the bill’s passage.