SEMO president asks for smaller reductions

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Southeast Missouri State University's president on Tuesday asked lawmakers to cut spending for four-year institutions by less than the 10 percent amount recommended by the governor.

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee for Education, Dr. Ken Dobbins suggested only 5 percent cuts for Southeast and other public universities, with additional spending withheld if needed.

"If you could look at 5 percent base cuts and 5 percent withholding, that would help us tremendously when the economy improves," Dobbins said.

The advantage of using withholdings as opposed to cuts is that money withheld could be released to the university if the state's financial situation improves later in the fiscal year. Money cut from the budget is gone unless restored in future budgets. However, the committee chairman said even if actual state revenue exceeds projections, which are ever changing, it would unlikely be enough to avoid higher education cuts.

"We probably will be looking at additional cuts above what the governor recommends," said state Rep. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia.

The only way cuts could be avoided, Graham said, is with "revenue enhancements."

Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, has recommended a nearly $45.3 million operating budget for Southeast for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Because of midyear withholdings to balance the FY 2002 budget, Southeast is on pace to receive less than $46 million. It had requested $55 million.

"If higher education is an economic driver, we have to be careful with how we cut higher education," Dobbins said. "There are risks and we have to balance them."

mpowers@semissourian.com

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