A higher education budget for next year with an 8.6 percent increase in state general funds has cleared the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on a unanimous, 17-0 vote. Under the budget, higher ed funding in fiscal year 2013 would be slightly below where Idaho funded the state's colleges and universities in 2006.

Democrats on the committee proposed a slightly higher budget, funding 80 percent of eligible occupancy costs at universities, rather than the 55 percent funded in the successful motion; that came to $3.5 million in the Democratic plan, vs. $2.4 million in the approved plan, for an overall 9.2 percent increase in general funds for universities next year. Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, noted that much of the increase for universities next year goes to specific research funding and for enrollment growth, which she said, "just helps the universities pretty much maintain." Rep. Jim Patrick, R-Twin Falls, commented, "Any time we don't fund occupancy costs maybe we shouldn't build a building." But that motion failed on a 5-12 vote, with two Republicans, Patrick and Sen. Mitch Toryanski, R-Boise, joining the three Democrats who were present in supporting it. The committee than voted unanimously for the original motion.

The higher education budget reflects an 8.6 percent increase in state general funds over this year, up from the governor's recommendation of 8.1 percent, but that's largely because 2 percent raises are built into the total, as they are for all state agencies for next year; Otter's proposal for 3 percent one-time bonuses was funded separately in his budget plan.

The legislative plan includes the $4 million Otter wanted for IGEM, the "Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission," with half of that going to the Center for Advanced Energy Studies and the other half going to university research; the other $1 million for IGEM is proposed for the state Department of Commerce budget. JFAC actually funded less for new building occupancy costs than Otter called for, at $2.4 million instead of $4.8 million; Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, said the idea is to fund the full amount over two years. Like the governor's recommendation, the legislative plan includes the universities' top priority: $6.6 million for an enrollment workload adjustment to cover anticipated enrollment increases next year, but not the $17 million universities wanted to cover big enrollment increases they've seen through the years of economic downturn with no compensating boost in their state budget.