Topeka ? The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved the proposed higher education budget, but several members vowed some of the spending decisions would be re-examined.

The overall post-secondary budget proposal would total $768.8 million in state revenue for the fiscal year that starts July 1. That represents a 4.4 percent increase from current spending.

Conservative Republicans questioned several itemized spending increases endorsed by Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican.

These included a $3 million increase to Kansas University to hire internationally known professors; $5 million for a preparation fund for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility; and a $5 million increase to Kansas State for its veterinary college.

Democrats rose to defend Brownback’s requests for more funding.

KU wants $3 million to hire high-profile professors, in part to help the school retain its membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities.

But Rep. Anthony Brown, R-Eudora, said the budget request “struck me as odd.” He asked if KU wasn’t already hiring top professors. Brown said he wanted to see more details on the plan.

Brown also questioned Brownback’s proposal to add $5 million for a preparation fund for NBAF, the biosecurity lab proposed to be built in Manhattan. Brown and several others on the committee asked if the announcement earlier this week that President Barack Obama’s budget did not include funding for NBAF should affect the state appropriation.

But other committee members said the state needed to appropriate the funds because it was part of the state’s package to win NBAF.

Removing that appropriation “would send a bad signal to the rest of the United States,” said Rep. Sharon Schwartz, R-Washington.

But Brown said if the project doesn’t get built, the money should be put into something else.

Rep. Virgil Peck, R-Tyro, questioned Brownback’s proposal to increase funding to the K-State veterinary school. Supporters of the proposal said Brownback wants to see the veterinary school rise in national rankings.

Committee Chairman Marc Rhoades, R-Newton, said the committee would probably debate these issues again, in addition to one brought up by Rep. Marvin Kleeb, R-Overland Park, who complained the higher education school budgets seemed to lack performance measures.