Full funding for Iowa’s three public universities is in jeopardy by the Iowa Legislature.

If passed by the full Legislature, an amended salary bill passed by a House committee Wednesday could cause additional cuts to university budgets in order to fund faculty and salary increases, which have not been fully funded by the state since 1999.

Gov. Tom Vilsack originally intended for half of the additional $40 million in funding requested by the Board of Regents to come from the state employee salaries bill.

In a 13-12 vote, the House Appropriations Committee decided not to include that money. Of that $20 million, the regents have loosely been guaranteed $3 million.

“The funding for the regents will be done a different way,” said Rep. Ralph Watts, R-Adel, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

The other $20 million was to come from education appropriations, but thus far only $12.6 million has been set aside.

“The regents had asked for $40 million, but they’re not going to get that this year,” Watts said. “I think they’re going to get what they got last year.”

Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, voted against the bill because it was unclear if regents institutions would get needed funding elsewhere.

“It is still woefully inadequate compared to the original request,” Mascher said. “We can do better than that in the Senate.”

Gary Steinke, deputy executive and public affairs director for the Board of Regents, said not only was the additional funding request denied for the salary bill, but salary increases alone will total $38 million next year, which will have to be supplemented by the universities.

“In the last five years or so, there has been no funding of those salary increases,” Steinke said.

“But the universities have to pay them no matter what, so cuts have to be made.”

Steinke said he is hopeful Vilsack will ensure the request is met.

“He is not backing away from this,” Steinke said.

Mascher said there is a backup plan if the Legislature is unable to fulfill the funding request.