Topeka ? A bill authorizing $110 million in bonds to build research centers at three state universities, including Kansas University, easily won House approval Friday.

The 94-25 vote sends the measure to the Senate.

The bill would authorize the use of bonds to build facilities for research on biomedicine at KU, food safety at Kansas State University and aviation at Wichita State University. Federal grants would fund the centers’ operation.

Plans call for the state to pay off no more than $50 million over five years for debt service on the bonds. Those payments would begin in fiscal 2004.

The House debated the bill Thursday, and part of the discussion focused on timing, with opponents pointing out the state’s current revenue shortage.

“We’re mortgaging our future,” said Rep. Bill Feuerborn, D-Garnett.

Feuerborn argued the state was adding spending obligations for future years when revenues are projected to be tight.

Rep. Andrew Howell, R-Fort Scott, agreed, adding any spending decisions are premature until new revenue estimates are released Friday.

Those figures are expected to show a gap of nearly $600 million between expected revenues and required spending.

However, an attempt to send the bill back to committee was defeated on an 87-32 vote.

Supporters said the bonding proposal is exactly the type of economic development investment the state should be making to stimulate job growth, innovation and academic achievement.

“Today is not a day to step backward in the state of Kansas,” said Rep. Ralph Tanner, R-Baldwin.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Kenny Wilk said the plan had been nearly two years in the making. About 100 legislators traveled to Kansas State earlier in the session for a presentation by professors, researchers and leaders of the three universities.

Wilk, R-Lansing, said the potential for scientific discovery that could help industry, as well as fight the war against bioterrorism, means the investment is worth making.

“It’s time to decide,” he said. “Putting this on the back burner is wrong.”

Others, including House Minority Leader Jim Garner, D-Coffeyville, said legislators should keep the commitment they made in 1999 to fully fund the reorganization of higher education.

Current budget projections delay the third year of the reorganization plan, leaving the regents and community colleges $45 million short of what legislators promised them for fiscal 2003. The extra money would allow universities to give pay raises and let community colleges reduce their property taxes.

House members amended the research bill to require that debt service on the bonds be paid from Kansas Lottery proceeds. Another amendment requires construction workers to be paid the prevailing wage for their specialties, as determined by the federal government.

Regent Chairman Clay Blair III was pleased with Thursday’s progress.

Blair said low interest rates for bonds, currently as low as 4.5 percent, would save millions of dollars and maximize the investment.

“This is a great start for Kansas,” Blair said.