House Budget Committee Approves Minor Funding Increases for University of Missouri Flagship Campus

Intro:	After an MU communication professor's firing, a House budget committee approved reinstating salaries for her supervisors
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Wrap: The House Select Committee on Budget approved roughly $400,000 in an mega-amendment to pay for the salaries of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the chair of the Communications Department and a communications professor.

The cuts were made in response to former professor Melissa Click's continued employment after she was filmed blocking a student photographer covering protests on campus last fall.

St. Louis County Representative Genise Montecillo said the university's lack of leadership has made her question the school's funding.

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Description: I don't have confidence at this time that this system is really going to heed our concerns that we're having and the concerns across the state.

The university's administration is facing a cut of roughly $7.6 million.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jack Morrisroe.

Intro:	A proposal to reinstate half of the University of Missouri's administrative budget cuts was denied by a House committee.
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Wrap: An amendment to the state's budget by Columbia Representative Caleb Rowden that would have allocated almost $4 million for the University of Missouri's administration was rejected.

The House Select Committee on Budget voted to include $7.6 million in cuts to the university's administration in its proposed budget.

The Columbia Republican said the current leadership should not be judged by their predecessors' mistakes.

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Description: Much of the highest level leadership that you speak of, and the concerns that you had in the past, those people frankly aren't there anymore.

The committee voted to allocate roughly $400,000 to pay for the salaries of the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the chair of the Communications Department and a communications professor at the school's flagship campus.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jack Morrisroe.

Intro:	Following the dismissal of former University of Missouri professor Melissa Click, the school's racial climate became a point of discussion during a House budget committee meeting.
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Wrap: The salaries of a communications professor and her supervisors were reinstated in a mega-amendment at a House Select Committee meeting.

While Click was fired and some funds were returned to the flagship university, the administration and campus are still facing the fallout of the protests that became national news last fall.

Jackson County Representative Gail McCann Beatty said the professor's issues were a frustrating distraction from bigger issues on campus.

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Description: I'm very much disturbed that our conversation, particularly in this building, has not dealt with the issues around racial problems on the university's campus.

The university system's administration is facing a $7.6 million cut in funding from the previous year.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Jack Morrisroe