When lawmakers start work on the state budget next year, we hope they consider fully funding Lincoln University's federal land grant matching funds.
Lincoln's status as a land grant institution means the federal government matches the state's land grand funding to the institution.
Rep. Karla May, D-St. Louis, has prefiled a bill requiring the state to "appropriate matching moneys to all land grant institutions in the state in compliance with the one-to-one match obligation" established in the two federal laws that created land-grant schools.
The odds don't favor the bill. They don't favor any bill, as only about one in 10 bills filed become law. May unsuccessfully pushed similar legislation last year.
May's bill would ban the state from reducing other funding for land grant institutions. In recent years, LU has been eligible for more than $7 million in federal land grant matching money.
Missouri lawmakers have included full land-grant match funding as part of the University of Missouri's core budget, but Lincoln's funding match has been hit-and-miss.
Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, also wants that to change. He said May has "a great idea that is consistent with the effort I've made to increase funding for agricultural research at Lincoln. The state should be taking full advantage of Lincoln's status as a land-grant university, which means fully funding the state match."
Founded by black Civil War soldiers and their white officers, LU has a proud heritage. Last year, it celebrated its 150th anniversary. But it needs proper funding to be able to retain quality faculty and staff, and to continue its research, including quality agriculture research.
We hope Barnes, May and other LU supporters can convince lawmakers to fully fund, permanently, LU's land-grant match during the next budget process.
News Tribune