The Missouri House of Representatives passed all 13 bills pertaining to budget appropriations, including House Bill 3 dealing with funds to go toward higher education. HB 3 was passed by a 141-19 margin.
HB 3 would provide a total of $1,155,741,881 for higher education.
In comparison to FY 2011 appropriations for higher education, the budget that was passed includes money to go toward the A+ scholarship fund, which was cut in past years. Funds were also given to the Access Missouri Grant fund, which was cut in past years as well.
Representatives Mary Still, D-Columbia and Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, both voted against the bill. Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, voted in favor of it.
During the debate of the total of 13 bills, Still and Kelly both spoke on the House floor about HB 3 and funding going toward higher education.
“At MU, we have increased enrollment in the past decade 40 percent,” Still said. “Yet our appropriations have been cut significantly and we are facing a $15 million dollar additional cut.”
Still proposed raising Missouri’s cigarette tax 12 cents in order to increase revenue.
“We have chosen this budget,” Still said. “There are more alternatives. We can do more to support this budget in this state.”
Kelly said he has been supportive of a tax increase in the past.
“There’s nobody in here who has voted for a tax increase more than I have,” Kelly said. “We’ve funded education, but the budget is about balancing. It is our sacred obligation to balance the budget.”
Kelly said appropriations for higher education are an increase for every university in the state over what was initially suggested.
“Missouri already ranks 49th in the country in funding per student for colleges and universities, and this budget cuts higher education funding by 7 percent,” Webber stated in his March Capitol Report. “That’s about $30 million taken from Mizzou.”
Aside from appropriations to higher education, the House also passed HB 2, which appropriated $5,260,265,166 to elementary and secondary education in Missouri.
The Missouri Senate is expected to vote on the 13 bills this week.
