GOP, Dayton struggle building a higher ed budget to meet many demands

The first higher education spending package was doomed to die on the governor's desk.

The Republican-controlled Senate and the House passed the nearly $3.2 billion higher education finance bill on Monday with about $125 million in new spending, far less than the state's two large university systems wanted. Like other GOP-driven budget bills this year, it got a quick veto from Gov. Mark Dayton, who wants $200 million more.

For those who've been through it, it's a familiar dance in a divided government. Negotiations have resumed on the higher education budget and, as always, controlling tuition will be a priority for lawmakers. Some, though, worry that in the effort to keep tuition in check, there won't be enough left for other pressing needs and competing demands in the state's university systems.

Lawmakers start by building a base fund that includes the University of Minnesota campuses, the Minnesota State system, the state's higher education office and the Mayo Foundation. That base is about $3 billion. What gets negotiated is the additional funding that the school systems ask for, which includes money to keep up with rising costs, new programs and building renovation.

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