Two Mid-Missouri college presidents said they appreciate Gov. Jay Nixon's budget proposals for their schools.
Nixon's $26 billion budget, submitted to lawmakers Wednesday night, proposes a $12 million increase in performance funding for all public higher education - including increases for both Lincoln University, the Jefferson City-based four-year school with additional master's degree programs, and the Linn-based State Technical College of Missouri, a two-year, state-owned school offering a variety of technical training programs.
LU would receive an additional $216,857 in core funding over the $18,183,935 in core funding carried from the current business year - a 1.19 percent increase.
STC would receive an additional $65,295 over the current core of $4,958,697 - a 13.17 percent increase.
But Nixon also issued a proclamation Wednesday, encouraging the General Assembly to add another $178 million to general revenue in the 2015-16 business year that begins July 1, by:
• Reforming and expanding Medicaid, to provide health care access for an additional 300,000 working Missourians by increasing eligibility to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Because the federal government would pay for 90 percent of the increased cost, Missouri could add $117 million to the general revenue budget.
• Passing a tax amnesty bill, allowing a one-time opportunity for Missourians who owe back taxes to pay their outstanding debt and add another $51 million.
• Authorizing collection reforms, streamlining administrative functions and, also, increasing the collection of "already owed taxes" - generating an addition $10 million in general revenue for the 2015-16 business year.
The governor "is recommending $13 million be added (to higher education) if the Legislature approves these proposals," state Budget Director Linda Luebbering told reporters Wednesday.
If that additional money would be added to the budget, LU would receive another $234,928, which when combined with the other proposed budget increase, would total $451,785 - a total 2.48 percent increase over the current funding.
"We are appreciative for any increases that are considered," President Kevin Rome said Friday afternoon. "Lincoln University is in need of the additional funding, and we hope that the funding is approved."
Lincoln's curators meet in two weeks, and the school might have more reaction to the budget situation after that meeting.
If lawmakers add the extra $178 million to the budget, State Technical College would receive an additional $70,736, which when combined with the other proposed budget increase, would total $136,031 - a total 2.74 percent increase over the current funding.
State Technical College President Don Claycomb said Friday: "We appreciate any increase that is being recommended.
"As always, we are anxious to see how the budget situation plays out during the session."
STC's regents met last week.
The second-extra funding especially isn't easy to count on, since it relies largely on lawmakers increasing Medicaid eligibility in the state - something the Legislature's Republican leaders have rejected for the last five years.
Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, told reporters after Nixon's speech Wednesday night: "We're not going to use Medicaid expansion money that hasn't materialized and is not likely to materialize.
"We're going to be looking at actual dollars that we have to work with."
Dempsey said lawmakers agree with the governor that education funding should be a priority.
"It's just how we do it that we disagree on," he said.