Topeka ? The proposed budget before the full House today delays many major budget decisions, including those for higher education and Kansas University.

“No money,” said House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls.

“When you get to a situation when you are short on money, what you need to do is fund the things that absolutely have to happen to keep the government running,” he said.

The budget proposal calls for spending $6.4 billion in state general tax revenues for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee removed many of the funding increases sought by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat.

“It’s a procedure that the majority party is using,” state Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence.

What it means is that many budget decisions will be reviewed and made during the so-called wrap-up session next month – after lawmakers have a more current report on revenue projections. The delay has become standard procedure in recent years in the budget process.

The proposed budget would postpone consideration of a $19.7 million increase in the operating grant to higher education institutions. Also to be reviewed next month would be a $3 million increase in the grant program for financially needy students.

For KU, the budget would delay consideration of $50 million in bonds to expand the School of Pharmacy.

But it would approve several construction projects that KU is paying for itself through student fees or private dollars.

Those projects include $15 million in improvements to Allen Fieldhouse; $13 million for renovation of Gertrude Sellards Pearson Hall; $7 million for a classroom-shop facility for the School of Architecture; $5 million for an addition to the Structural Biology Center; $5 million for renovation of Breidenthal Research Building; and $2.3 million for renovation of Smissman Lab.