By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder visit the University of Missouri St. Louis Friday to tout a funding increase for higher education.
Governor Matt Blunt is proposing a two percent increase for colleges and universities. It would be the first increase in five years.
Some Democrats have said it's not enough, but Kinder says the state could not recover from a four-year downturn in revenues in a single year.
In one year it was all we could do, it's not enough; it's a platform that will build on as we keep Missouri's economy growing, Kinder said. We hope we can do more next year.
Governor Blunt also proposed an increase in spending for public schools of $167 million during his State of the State speech Wednesday night.
Kinder says the proposed increases prove that business-friendly policies help education.