State budget closer to needs

The Indiana Legislature's House Ways and Means Committee proposed its state budget Tuesday, with a 3.8 percent increase in spending for higher education. This news comes after weeks of dismay over Gov. Frank O'Bannon's proposed budget, which would flatline state spending for higher education.\nInstead, this two-year, $21 billion package will be distributed among Indiana's public universities and colleges.\nThe committee should be commended for this move, which shows its support of higher education. This is the kind of support IU will need to improve and push Indiana back to the top of national rankings. \nGambling funds were also allocated for university technology uses, which will improve IU's already high-tech environment. Forty million dollars of this money will be spread among all public universities and colleges. \nIn addition to this statewide funding, the bill would give specific money to the IU-Bloomington campus. The bill allocates bonding authority for the Multidisciplinary Science Building and $4.5 million for the School of Informatics, University spokeswoman Susan Dillman said. \nThe Multidisciplinary Science Building will be a state-of-the-art facility for high-precision scientific research that scientists cannot perform in other buildings on campus. This is the first time the University has submitted a request to the General Assembly for the funds necessary to start the science building. The legislature's support means the project will move forward.\nThe funding for the still new School of Informatics is also important because continued spending is crucial to see it through its infancy.\nThe legislature's commitment to these two large projects is a good sign that IU will persist in improving itself, not just maintaining its programs and facilities.\nThis increase in funding is not surprising; the governor's budget is often overly conservative and is tweaked by the House and Senate along its way to being passed. Nevertheless, the Legislature deserves applause for the ongoing support it will give to higher education across the state.\nNow, both houses of the Legislature must approve this proposed budget. Bipartisan support will solidy this bill.\nStaff vote: 14 - 0