Modest boost for higher ed endorsed

DES MOINES - The Iowa Senate passed a $1 billion higher education budget measure Tuesday that provided a slight funding increase. It's probably not enough, however, to head off the prospects for tuition increases and cutbacks at Iowa's public universities and community colleges.

'We have to do better,” Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington, told his Senate colleagues who voted 27-23 to approve a fiscal 2017 spending plan that provided a $6.3 million increase to regent universities and a $3 million boost to Iowa's 15 community colleges that were a fraction of the new money they requested. The overall budget increase would provide an extra $1.3 million for the University of Iowa, $2.2 million for Iowa State University and $2.78 million for the University of Northern Iowa, he noted.

'We came to a bipartisan agreement, but it's not enough. This basically is a status quo budget,” said Schoenjahn, in lamented a joint spending target agreed to with majority House Republicans that probably will usher in tuition increases, more adjunct professors and tougher entrance standards at state universities that asked for a $26 million increase.

Sen. Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City, joined 26 majority Democrats in passing Senate File 2323, while 23 GOP senators opposed the measure with Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, saying the state's tight budget cries out for legislators to prioritize better.

'We need to rebalance and consider making some cuts so we can reinvest in the state,” he said.

The higher education budget bill represents the third-largest piece of a $7.35 billion spending plan for fiscal 2017 and probably would not allow the state's public colleges to keep up with inflation at the level being sent to Gov. Terry Branstad for his consideration, Schoenjahn countered.

'We have got to reprioritize and make education No. 1 because education drives this economy and as this economy expands, then we will have the money to fund water quality and all the other projects that we desperately need to do in this state.

'You grow your way out of a recession, not cut your way out of it and we need to invest in our kids and our future,” he added. 'We have to do better. We're not there. We're trying, we're not there.”

Also Tuesday, senators approved fiscal 2017 budget bills to finance agriculture and natural resources functions with $43.1 million from the state's general fund by a 31-19 vote. House File 2454 also included $88.6 million in money from sources outside the general fund budget.

The Senate also approved a transportation bill that contains $378.2 million, with a large share money deposited in the road-use tax fund to finance primary highway projects decided by the state Transportation Commission. Senators approved that measure, Senate File 2320, by a 27-23 margin.