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--> --> Higher education budget headed to the governor SALEM (AP) - The Legislature completed action Sunday on an $800 million higher education budget that includes the first tuition hike in four years. The bill, which won Senate approval Friday, now goes to the governor on a 58-1 House vote. The new budget would allow a 7 percent tuition increase over the next two years to help colleges deal with inflation and rising costs. "It actually cuts the tuition increase that was initially proposed," said Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby. A recent study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education ranked Oregon as the fifth least affordable state for college in the country. Though he voted in favor of the bill, Rep. Jeff Kruse said he was hesitant about giving universities and colleges the power to raise tuition. "For those of you who weren't here last session, we gave higher ed a fair chunk of money with the promise that they wouldn't raise tuition and right after sine die (adjournment) they went ahead and raised fees, which I thought was a little disingenuous," the Republican from Roseburg said. Rep. Chris Beck cast the lone no vote on the budget and said though he supported higher education, he felt the budget was inadequate. "This is simply not enough," the Portland Democrat said. If Oregon's universities are expected to compete with nationally renowned institutions of higher learning, the Legislature must give them the funding to do so, he added. "Let's not stand here and go back to our constituents and say that we have anything more than a mediocre system of public higher education," Beck said. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing