A plan to distribute millions of dollars to the thirteen state-supported higher education institutions might have been killed in the Senate because some of the schools are unhappy with their allocations.
Warrensburg Senator David Pearce thought his higher education formula bill was about to be approved by the state senate, even though he admits it would be under-funded by $448 million if it were in place today. He and his committee had been developing the proposal since last summer.
But the University of Missouri system is unhappy about the formula because it reduces the system’s share of the total higher education funding pot. And some other institutions want another year to pressure for changes. “Why kick the can down the road…the institutions have had all the time to have input in this process,” he says.
However, Columbia senator Kurt Schaefer, who represents the main University of Missouri campus, wants the University to have another chance to get some changes although he missed a chance earlier to amend the bill during earlier debate. But Pearce, faced with a Schaefer filibuster, has shelved his formula, with only two weeks left in the legislative session.
AUDIO: Debate excerpts 36:54
