A group of more than 50 ISU students will lobby state legislators at the Capitol on Wednesday, two days after House Republicans announced their funding plan for the Regents institutions.v

The ISU Ambassadors, a student group that acts as a link between the student body and the Iowa Legislature, will make its annual trip to Des Moines to encourage state lawmakers to fully fund the board’s Partnership for Transformation and Excellence Plan, a four-year legislative package that requests $40 million each year in state allocations for the Regents institutions.

“Our main priority is to lobby for the Partnership Plan,” said Rachel Geilenfeld, director of ISU Ambassadors and junior in political science.

Geilenfeld said the students will arrive at the Capitol Wednesday morning to meet with their hometown representatives.

“We want to stress local connections with the legislators,” she said. “We want to make sure they know we’re from their home districts and all our friends, family and neighbors live there.”

House Republicans Monday announced their proposal for funding of the Partnership Plan, allocating $6 million for general operating costs plus another $20 million for infrastructure and economic development.

Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, said he supports the Republicans’ initial offering.

“I think it’s a very, very good proposal,” Kurtenbach said. “Twenty-six million is approximately what was received last year out of the House appropriations. We’re being consistent.”

Democratic Gov. Tom Vilsack’s budget proposal, released in late January, would allocate $20 million to the Partnership Plan, along with an additional $25 million to be shared among the three universities for bioscience research and economic development.

Kurtenbach said the governor’s budget relies heavily on revenue from proposed cigarette and beer taxes that have not yet been passed in the Legislature.

“The governor has built his budget on a significant number of new taxes that are not in place, nor do I expect them to be put in place,” he said. “He has a consistent record of promising more than our state can possibly deliver.”

Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, said the Republicans’ $6 million proposal for general operations falls too short of the Regents’ request of $40 million.

“I believe that’s seriously under-funding the Regents,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. “The 6 million for the Transformation Plan, even with the 20 million for infrastructure, is inadequate.”

Iowa City Regent Robert Downer agreed that the Regents institutions need more than $6 million for general operations.

“To have the kind of universities the people of Iowa deserve, we’re going to need more,” Downer said. “Especially if we’re going to demonstrate the economic leadership that seems to be expected of us now.”

He said the Republicans’ plan may change in the coming months.

“I’m cautious about painting too bleak of a picture,” he said.

“I recall since I’ve been on the board that the numbers always seem to get better as the session goes on.”

Downer encouraged the ISU Ambassadors in their efforts to lobby the Statehouse.

“When students, parents, alumni and other friends of the institutions gear up and make their points, I think we’ve had better results and very positive comments from the legislators,” he said.