INDIANAPOLIS-ยก - Representatives of state universities testified Tuesday morning in front of a conference committee tasked with negotiating a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the state budget.
The House Democrat's version of the budget contains a 2 percent increase for higher education. The Senate Republican's version contains a 2 percent decrease.
University presidents and their representatives meekly presented their case to the committee, with none outright asking for more money.
Associate Vice President for Governmental Relations Philip "Satch" Sachtleben represented Ball State. He said Ball State and other universities were informed of the meeting at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. President Jo Ann Gora was out of the state and could not attend on such short notice.
Sachtleben said Ball State has been responsible with state money, which makes up about half of the university's operating budget.
Ball State has worked to keep its spending down, he said, by freezing hiring and salaries.
But, he said, the university is facing expense increases beyond its control.
"We're doing a hell of a lot of work in reducing those costs," he said, pointing to the geothermal project and other efforts the university has made to decrease utility costs.
Sachtleben declined to answer a question from the committee as to what a tuition increase might be. He said the Board of Trustees is responsible for setting tuition and it would be inappropriate for him to speculate.
Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, the top Republican negotiator on the committee, said the committee already knows what everyone wants and should spend it's time reaching a compromise budget.
"I'm at a loss to the value of continued testimony," he said.
Rep. Dennis Avery, D-Evansville, said he felt the public should have another opportunity to make its case.
Republicans insist the House's one-year budget would bankrupt the state. Democrats say it does not spend more than the Senate's two-year version.
Both sides agree the House budget spends about the same general fund money as other versions. The disagreement is primarily in the House's use of federal stimulus money. The House uses nearly all of the stimulus money in its one-year budget, while the Senate spreads the stimulus money over two years. Republicans say using all of the stimulus money in one year will create obligations the state will not be able to fulfill in the second year.
The ranking Democratic and Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee serve as voting members of the committee. All four voting members must approve the compromise bill before it can be sent to the full House and Senate for final approval.
The committee will likely resolve the differences between the bills in closed meetings.
Democrats say this would allow the General Assembly to see if state revenue projections improve before the next year and give state-funded institutions more of an opportunity to plan for possible future cuts.
If the General Assembly does not pass a budget before Wednesday, Indiana will face a government shutdown.
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