Mo. House plan would fund higher ed, cut blind aid

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The top budget writer in the Missouri House is proposing to reverse Gov. Jay Nixon's cuts to public colleges and universities while eliminating a program that provides aid to the blind.

House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan Silvey outlined his new budget proposal Wednesday to The Associated Press in advance of distributing copies to fellow lawmakers.

In January, Nixon proposed a $106 million funding cut for higher education institutions. He later proposed to reduce that by $40 million by tapping money the state will receive from a settlement with mortgage lenders.

Silvey's plan would wipe out the rest of Nixon's proposed cut to higher education -- partly by redirecting $28 million that now goes to programs for the blind. It also would eliminate Nixon's proposed $5 million funding increase for K-12 schools.