JEFFERSON CITY - Higher education came out a big winner in budget negotiations Wednesday, as legislators agreed to provide $20 million more than last year to Missouri's colleges and universities.
House and Senate members are meeting in conference committees this week to iron out the differences between the House and Senate budgets. With revenue estimates continuing the improve, the negotiators went down the list of higher education expenditures, and with only a handful of exceptions, chose the more generous number.
"I'm fine with giving the high number to education," said Rep. Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City. Stevenson has been chosen as one of the House negotiators. "Education is our priority."
Crowder College made out particularly well -- it will receive $200,000 to go toward alternative energy programs.
Rep. Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, said she and Joplin Senator Gary Nodler had pushed for the additional money. Nodler was able to add the extra funding in the Senate shortly before that chamber passed its budget.
While the extra $200,000 is not specifically earmarked for alternative energy at Crowder, Stevenson said that was the intention of the legislature.
Crowder president Kent Farnsworth said the funds will be used as seed money to develop plans for an alternative energy research center.
Though Crowder's alternative energy program has already developed a number of successful projects, Farnsworth said constructing a research center would help the program expand the scope of its research.
The college wants to explore new avenues of alternative energy generation, especially fuel cell technology. Farnsworth said Crowder officials would like to see a new building include incubator space to provide opportunities for spin-off projects to develop into companies.
"After a year for start-up support, they could move out into the economy," Farnsworth said. A research center could also attract related industries to Southwest Missouri, he added.
Constructing the building could cost about $5 million, Farnsworth said, adding that conducting research to develop alternative and renewable energy sources could offer "tremendous potential return to the state" by reducing companies' and private individuals' energy bills.
Rep. Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, called the boost for higher education "the right thing to do."
Wilson said the legislature had a "moral commitment" to fund elementary and secondary education first -- but given there is now more than enough money to fund higher education at increased levels as well, he supported the negotiators' decision.
"The best economic development you have is a good education," Wilson said.
The budget negotiations themselves do mark a change from the norm. Usually, education is left for the end of the House and Senate negotiators' work, in case cuts need to be made. Wilson said by tackling education first, it shows what is important to the Republican-led legislature.
"Our commitment is to education and higher education over social services," Wilson said.
Observers say the Department of Social Services budget, which could see a conference committee as early as this week, remains a point of contention between the House and Senate. The House's push to cut Medicaid services is also something many Senators, including Senate Republicans, have expressed concern over. The House Medicaid bill remains stalled in the Senate.
Missouri Southern State University also benefitted from a last-minute budget amendment to increase its funding by more than $200,000 as well.
Lower education, which both chambers sought to increase substantially, saw House and Senate negotiators settle earlier on a $106 million increase in foundation formula funding over the current fiscal year.