House passes budget targeting higher ed

? House Republican leaders on Friday pushed through a state budget that would hold the line on state taxes and increase funding to public schools but make cuts to universities and delay a state employee pay raise.

“We took a giant step forward today in moving the budget,” said House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka.

But higher education officials, Democrats, state employees and Senate Republican leaders were angered by the action.

Paul Carttar, executive vice chancellor for university relations at Kansas University, said the budget cuts were “quite significant.”

“There are clear indications a significant number of representatives didn’t understand what they were voting for,” Carttar said.

Kathy Jansen, president of the KU Classified Senate, stated: “I wish they wouldn’t balance the education budget or any budget on the backs of state employees. I find that reprehensible.”

Under the plan, a 2.5 percent state employee pay raise proposed to take effect July 1 would be delayed nine months until March 12, 2006. KU has about 1,470 classified workers.

Higher ed controversy

On the higher education front, regents officials were at war with Mays and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls.

Repeatedly, during nearly four hours of debate on the bill Thursday, Neufeld indicated that although his plan would reduce an earlier proposed increase, universities would still be getting more funding during the fiscal year that starts July 1 than they are now getting.

But on Friday, after reviewing the various budget amendments, the Kansas Board of Regents issued a statement that said under Neufeld’s budget, universities would get a decrease in funding.

The decrease would amount to nearly $2.3 million, from $563.7 million under current appropriations to $561.4 million for the next fiscal year.

The reduction from Sebelius’ budget recommendation was even greater — $13.7 million overall with KU getting $6.2 million less and the KU Medical Center getting $4.6 million less.

“We are profoundly disappointed by this action,” said Reginald Robinson, president and chief executive of the regents.

Carttar said the losses would increase pressure to raise tuition and would be especially difficult for KUMC, where a tuition increase wouldn’t produce that much in new funds because there are fewer students. The loss at KUMC, he said, is equal to half the budget of the School of Nursing, or the entire budget of the internal medicine department.

Carttar said it was premature to consider precise cuts and added he was confident lawmakers would restore funding once the budget proceeds to a conference committee.

Democrats said the funding cut represented a hidden tax increase.

“This budget will effectively lead to a tuition tax on families,” said state Rep. Bill Feuerborn, D-Garnett.

Neufeld, however, stuck by his statements that the higher education budgets are not being reduced.

“It’s a mystery to me” why the regents had said his budget proposal was a cut, he said.

Later, he seemed to back off earlier statements and said the higher education budget was probably flat from the current fiscal year to the proposed one.

Mays downplayed the controversy over higher education funding and the state worker pay raise, indicating that funds could be restored during the so-called omnibus session in late April after new state revenue estimates have been nailed down.

“This is not the end of the process,” Mays said. He told state employees “to be patient.”

Senate president critical

The House approved the budget 67-55 with only Republican support. All 42 Democrats and 13 moderate Republicans, including state Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, opposed the budget.

Now the measure goes to the Senate, where it is expected to get a rough welcome.

Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, blasted the proposal.

“All the state employees that I’ve observed go above and beyond the call of duty, and I think we take them for granted a lot,” Morris said.

He also said it was unfair to pit higher education funding against public schools.

Democrats decried the House Republican position that the reductions were needed to fund a $115.9 million increase for public schools without raising taxes.

“Today’s budget bill funds an inadequate and disequalizing school finance proposal using a great deal of one-time money,” said state Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita.

The Kansas Supreme Court has given lawmakers until April 12 to increase funds to public schools and distribute those funds more equitably.

So far, Republican House and Senate plans would allow local districts, including Lawrence, to increase property taxes to enhance local funding, a plan that Democrats says flies in the face of the court decision.