The Legislature’s Appropriations Committee is steeling itself for some potentially long hearings with state agencies beginning next week.

Agencies will have an opportunity to come in and try to persuade committee members to fund their requests – many of which are higher than either the committee or the governor seems willing to give them in the next two budget years.

The committee had said Monday it would shoot for an overall 4 percent increase in state spending growth. That’s slightly higher than Gov. Dave Heineman’s 3.8 percent increase.

In meetings this week, senators cut their preliminary figures from a 4.7 percent increase to 4.2 percent.

“In discussions over several days, (4 percent) looked like a tough spot to get to,” said Sen. Lavon Heidemann, Appropriations Committee chairman.

In paring down, the committee tried to spread the pain, he said.

Left on the cutting room floor were the University of Nebraska, the Health and Human Services System, new construction and the Women’s Commission, among others.

The committee earlier this month appeared to be in favor of increasing support to NU by 4.2 percent in each of the next two years. That was more than double the governor’s plan for increases of 1.1 percent the first year and 2.2 percent the second year.

By Thursday, university support had slipped to 2.3 percent the first year and about 3.3 percent the second year.

Ron Withem, NU director of governmental relations, said he thought the committee had recognized the needs of the university.

“This is a setback. We’re concerned,” he said. “Nothing has changed. Those are still the very real needs we have.”

Although disappointed, he said, he knows this is just one step in the process.

The committee took action Wednesday to fund salary increases at 3 percent a year for university and state colleges instead of 4 percent, and it adopted the governor’s plan to save money on vacancies.

Withem said the preliminary budget barely covers 2.2 percent salary increases. If state dollars needed by the university aren’t there, the money for fixed costs must come from such sources as tuition increases, he said.

The Health and Human Services System already had taken reductions from the governor’s budget in earlier committee discussions. Going into the hearings, the Appropriations budget is offering $11.8 million less to HHSS operations than does the governor’s budget.

The committee did not fund the Women’s Commission but allowed carry over money for travel to meetings, as required by law, and for unemployment compensation, unused vacation pay and other benefits. If approved by the full Legislature, funding for the agency would stop July 1.

Other major proposed general fund reductions came from retirement funds for schools, judges and the Nebraska State Patrol, county jail cost reimbursement and medical and nursing student assistance.

Significant proposed budget increases include school aid, Medicaid, salaries, community colleges, public assistance and inmate per diem rates.

Agencies will be in to plead their cases over the next month. Heidemann said that as hard as it was to get the proposed budget down to the 4.2 percent increase, it will be equally hard to hold that line.

“I’m not saying we couldn’t do it,” he said.

The Legislature’s budget bill is due to the floor by April 25.

Reach JoAnne Young at 473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com.