Jackson Free Press

The House of Representatives struck a combative pose at its first full session, restoring $17.2 million to higher education that Barbour had ordered cut in November. By a vote of 87-34, the House passed House Bill 290, which directs money from the state's rainy day fund to institutions of higher learning, community colleges and junior colleges.

Defending the bill on the House floor, Rep. Tom Reynolds, D-Tallahatchie, argued that higher education deserved the same special protection as secondary education. "This is our chance as Mississippians to say we're going to set priorities," Reynolds said. "We've said we're going set priorities with K-12. We've said that's the foundation of … our economic development."

"This is the roof," Reynolds added. "We have a leaky roof."

Reynolds noted that tuition for Mississippi's universities has risen by roughly one third in five years. Barbour's 2 percent cut in higher education funding would accelerate tuition increases, he warned.

The bill appropriates more than $8 million to defray the expenses of Mississippi's eight public universities and $4.9 million for community colleges and junior colleges. Also included in the bill is $2.2 million for the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Speaking to the Mississippi Economic Council on Jan. 8, Barbour called the House Bill fiscally irresponsible. "There's some people over there who think it's good politics to vote for anything that comes along," Barbour said.

"Our higher education system in my opinion is underfunded," he added. "But we can't spend what we ain't got."

The bill will head to the Senate for approval, where it will likely encounter stiffer opposition.