Missouri House legislators passed a proposal Tuesday to eliminate $1 million in state funding from MU.
The amendment to [House Bill 2003](http://www.house.mo.gov/billsummary.aspx?bill=HB2003), an appropriations bill for higher education funding, would remove $1 million from MU funding for the next fiscal year and appropriate an equivalent amount toward funding for Lincoln University. The amendment was offered by Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, and passed on an 83–75 vote.
Barnes said he would cut more money from MU if he could, citing a projected [drop in student enrollment](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/1/25/mu-hopes-combat-application-decline-new-strategies/) for the 2016–17 academic year.
.@jaybarnes5 suggests #Mizzou budget cut should be bigger. 'If you serve fewer students you shouldn't ask for the same or more money'#moleg
— Rudi Keller (@CDTCivilWar) March 8, 2016
Opinions on the cuts varied. Rep. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, spoke in opposition to the amendment, as well as cuts to the UM System in general. Webber argued that cuts would fall disproportionately on students or low wage workers.
.@Webber on @jaybarnes5 amend: 'A…policy that pits students against students for resources will not lead to the MO that we want' #moleg
— Rudi Keller (@CDTCivilWar) March 8, 2016
Speaking in favor of the cuts, Rep. Mike Lair, R-Chillicothe, claimed the UM System leaders had been condescending to lawmakers.
Rep. Lair talking @umsystem saying "unless it has to do with the dollar bill you really don't get their attention" #moleg
— Alex Stuckey (@alexdstuckey) March 8, 2016
.@PetersSTL says $1M is not a lot for @Mizzou budget #moleg
— Alex Stuckey (@alexdstuckey) March 8, 2016
Barnes’ amendment was only one of the many discussed on Tuesday, as the House held nearly four hours of hearings and debate on higher education funding.
Defeated amendments included a proposal to cut state funding for MU from $169,305,944 to $1, proposed by Rep. Rocky Miller, R-Lake Ozark. The amendment was ultimately withdrawn by its sponsor out of fear it might actually have passed, according to Miller.
Other amendments not passed included a proposal by Rep. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, that would have increased performance funding to the UM System by 2 percent.
Rep. Justin Alfermann, R-Hermann, defended the measure.
.@Justinalf says he gets #moleg frustration, but "cutting performance funding is not going to achieve an end goal resolve frustration #moleg
— Alex Stuckey (@alexdstuckey) March 8, 2016
The total appropriations bill, which also contains $7.6 million in cuts to UM System administration, is currently laid over by committee.
_Edited by Taylor Blatchford | tblatchford@themaneater.com_