The bad news eased a bit for Missouri higher education this afternoon. Governor Nixon's office released a statement saying $40 million of the recommended funding cuts for next year will be restored to his budget.
Nixon said in his State of the State address that higher education funding would be cut by $106 million.
Nixon credits a $140 million for Missouri from a settlement by states' attorneys general with national mortgage banks for the ability to reduce the amount of the cuts.
House education chair Mike Thompson remarks that even with the restoration, the higher education budget would still be reduced by about 8 percent: perhaps, he said, the second-largest cut ever. Thompson says he hopes the restoration doesn't come with the proviso that the schools not raise tuition to make up for the remaining cuts.