A plan to gain increased state support for Iowa’s three public universities has stalled with the Iowa Legislature.

The Board of Regents’ plan to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the state’s three regent universities has not reached any major milestones.

A roadblock standing in the way of the regents’ efforts is hesitancy in the Legislature to commit full funding to the universities.

The board’s Partnership for Transformation and Excellence asks the legislature to secure a $40 million increase in funding per year for four years, which would be matched by $20 million in reallocated funds from the universities.

A budget target released by the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee provided only $6.3 million of the $20 million requested. The other $20 million is expected to come from a salary bill that has yet to be debated by the General Assembly.

Disagreement over funding targets between state Democrats and Republicans has caused a stalemate in both the evenly split Senate and the House, which has a two-seat Republican majority.

“The appropriations process has not even begun yet, so I would say that the plan hasn’t even started yet,” said Gary Steinke, deputy executive and public affairs director for the Board of Regents.

“There was nothing to slow down — we’re still in a holding pattern here.”

Acting Board President Bob Downer said he’s aware of concerns over the plan’s lack of progress, but said he expects a decision to be made in the next few months.

“We’re in a period right now where we’re getting close to the end of the legislative session where a lot of things get accomplished,” Downer said.

Senate Republicans have said the request is too large and not feasible compared to the state’s other funding priorities and available revenues. Democrats said a cigarette tax hike would free up money in the state’s general fund for use.

“They’re looking for a wise and efficient use of the appropriations,” Steinke said. “Some people call it a business approach. The regents call it accountability.”

Ames representatives said they support the plan.

“My principal concern in this budget session is restoring the $40 million,” said Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames. “It is a restoration; it’s not new money. It’s putting back a part of the money that has been cut over the past three or four years.”

Quirmbach said although the House budget would increase the school’s budgets, he is worried the General Assembly will approve it.

Downer said if higher education does not receive needed funds from the state, a balance will have to be struck between students and universities to pick up the slack.

“I am not in favor of funding the entire shortfall on the backs of the students through tuition and fees,” Downer said. “At the same time, I am not about to see a serious erosion in quality and programs at the institutions.”

The funding aspect of the plan may be moving slowly, but Downer said the Board’s institutional initiatives are moving along well.

A House bill that passed unanimously out of committee March 9 would also help the Board of Regents operate more efficiently, Downer said.

House File 686 removes some of the restrictions faced by the board in regards to awarding contracts to third parties.

“If we’re going to build a building, we have to reward the contracts to the lowest responsible bidder,” Downer said. “In some other areas, we’ve been precluded from doing that.”

Downer said the board could see substantial savings from competitive bids in the areas of telecommunications and auditing.

The next meeting of the Board of Regents will be held May 4 and 5 at the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School.