Area legislators say they support funding for the Iowa Board of Regents institutions in accordance with a legislative plan that calls for an allocation of $40 million to Iowa’s state universities. Members of the ISU Ambassadors plan to press lawmakers to fund the measure in February.

The Partnership for Transformation and Excellence, a four-year legislative agenda that outlines the Regents’ priorities, netted the Regents $40 million last year, but only $24 million of that sum was granted as renewable general operating allocations. The other $16 million came from other, non-permanent sources such as economic development funds or Medicaid programs for the University of Iowa.

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said he hopes a larger portion of Regents allocations goes toward general operation funding this session.

“It took the whole last session to cobble money together from different places, but we got pretty close [to $40 million]. Only about half of what we got last year was permanent money. About half of it was one-time or special fund money. I’d like to see that improved,” Quirmbach said.

Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames, said she, too, supports another $40 million in accordance to the Regents’ plan.

“I know for myself that I’m a supporter of the Transformation Plan,” Heddens said.

“We got funding last year and I will continue to work for it this year.”

She said she would prefer more of the Regents’ funding to go toward general operations.

“There is a potential out there for us to have to patch things together like last year,” she said. “Sometimes that’s how things are funded, but I’d like to see that become a little more transparent. I’d like us to not have to go to so many sources.”

During his Condition of the State Address on Jan. 10, Gov. Tom Vilsack spent much of his speech outlining plans for K-12 education, but never mentioned the Transformation Plan or the Regents.

Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, said he doesn’t think Vilsack has made Iowa’s higher education enough of a priority.

“I think the Transformation Plan’s a good ambition and good model for the Regents, but I don’t believe that the governor is focused on $40 million of new spending for higher education,” Kurtenbach said. “I doubt whether it’ll be a high priority for the governor.”

Kurtenbach said Vilsack’s two terms as Iowa’s governor have shown a tendency to focus on primary schools over public higher education.

“The governor’s focus the last seven years has always been on K-12 and less on community colleges and Regents universities. The governor has been very predictable in his deference to K-12 over higher education.”

Quirmbach said although higher education didn’t play a prominent role in Vilsack’s address, he thinks the governor has always treated the Regents fairly.

“You can only fit so many things into a speech without abusing your audience,” Quirmbach said. “I wouldn’t read anything into the governor focusing his remarks in other areas in his speech.”

The ISU Ambassadors and some members of the Government of the Student Body plan to travel to the Capitol on Feb. 15 to lobby state lawmakers to approve the Transformation Plan’s request.

“The main thing we’re lobbying for is the Partnership for Transformation and Excellence plan to request $40 million for the Regents,” said Rachel Geilenfeld, director of ISU Ambassadors. “We’re trying to convey the importance of university education in our state.”

Geilenfeld, junior in political science, said between 40 and 50 ambassadors and several GSB members would make the trip to Des Moines.

She said the ISU Ambassadors also work to minimize tuition hikes.

“Part of the goal of the plan is to keep tuition increases down. Last year, they granted some funds to the university that kept tuition increase at four percent. That shows we got what we set out to accomplish,” Geilenfeld said.