Higher education was a hotly debated topic during the 2004 session of the Iowa Legislature, which adjourned April 20.

Most debates centered on ways of slowing down the skyrocketing tuition of Iowa’s three state schools, a problem affecting universities nationwide.

However, the measures to slow down tuition increase were voted against strongly.

In January, Gov. Tom Vilsack called for a $30 million increase in funding for Iowa’s three state universities. The money would have come from an increase in cigarette taxes.

In April, the Legislature voted overwhelmingly against the measure.

State Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, said funding for the regent universities is plummeting to unacceptable levels.

“Total funding for all regents went from $715 million in 2001 to $613 [million] in 2005,” she said. “That’s a difference of $102 million — equivalent to running UNI for one year.”

She said the problem has come from Republican legislators, who won’t raise taxes, despite the need.

“Republicans promised to not increase taxes, and they refused to increase taxes, period,” she said.

Other legislators said the problem of funding higher education wasn’t as simple as raising taxes. State Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, said funding has increased for the state universities, but in the form of new building projects.

“The universities did benefit in the sense we issued $50 million worth of bonds to rebuild the infrastructure,” she said. “Places such as the ISU Vet College will have a sorely needed overhaul.”

Kurtenbach added Vilsack’s attempt to increase funding for universities via a tax increase was extremely unpopular in the Legislature.

“Only one member of his own party in the house would even support his proposal,” he said. “I view the governor’s proposal as something infeasible even in his own party.”

Other efforts have been introduced to put more money into the regents’ coffers.

In February, State Rep. Ed Fallon, D-Des Moines, called for a $367 million tax hike to fund Iowa’s education system.

He said he would fund the legislation by eliminating a 10 percent across-the-board income tax cut passed in 1998.

Fallon, who dubbed his draft the “Fallon Education Funding Proposal,” said the increase isn’t a tax hike, but rather a repeal of tax reductions approved in recent years.

“It’s a return to the status quo,” he said in February, according to Daily staff reports. “If this draft passes, the money would allow schools to return to their status four years ago,” he said.

Waiting for Vilsack’s signature is House File 2418, which will allow announcements for tuition increases to be made later in the school year.

In the past, announcements for tuition increases were made November of the preceding fiscal year.

The meeting will also be held in either Ames, Iowa City, or Cedar Falls— the locations of Iowa’s three state universities.

Greimann said the extended deadline will allow the Regents to make better decisions regarding tuition increases.

“Board of Regents can set tuition increases later than they have in the past, after December budget,” Griemann said. “I think they can go into March. That gives them flexibility, which might work to the students’ benefit.”