Topeka ? The state’s top higher education official on Wednesday criticized a proposed 7.5 percent pay cut to state employees.

The pay cut recommendation was approved by the House Appropriations Committee.

“We’re concerned by the committee’s action, which is simply unfair and unnecessary,” said Kansas Board of Regents Chairman Gary Sherrer of Overland Park.

Republicans on the committee backed the plan, which would cut state employee pay by 7.5 percent for the last six pay periods of the current fiscal year.

For universities, the reduced pay would be used to pay for repair and maintenance projects of campus buildings.

“Removing dollars from the paychecks (that) hard-working university employees depend upon, and then spending those dollars on building maintenance doesn’t result in any savings to the state,” Sherrer said.

State Rep. Pete DeGraaf, R-Mulvane, who authored the amendment to cut pay, said the higher education pay cuts were put back into maintenance as a way to maintain the level of state funding for higher education that is required to keep federal stimulus funds.

The House Appropriations’ plan next goes to the full House for consideration. That will probably happen next week.

The Senate is also working on a budget plan.

DeGraaf has said the proposed pay cut is needed to help balance the current budget and make it easier to balance the next fiscal year’s budget, which has an estimated $550 million revenue shortfall.