Last Wednesday, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a higher education budget that would take a large step in the direction of closing the funding gap between MSU and the state’s other research institutions. This measure has been long overdue and badly needed.

Unfortunately, not every member of the House thought so, and an amendment was offered on the floor that would have stripped both MSU and Western Michigan University of much of their increase. But thanks to the efforts of those representatives that believe every Michigan student should receive adequate support for their education, the amendment failed.

Students should be particularly grateful for the efforts of Sandy Caul, R-Mt. Pleasant, who stood firm on the budget that her committee drafted, and their own Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing. Whitmer was instrumental in gathering support from the democratic caucus for this budget, and in so doing fulfilled a major promise of her campaign: Working to close the gap.

We should be proud, as students and East Lansing residents, that our state representative has fought so hard and been so effective in making sure our needs are addressed by the Legislature.

Jeff Ziarko
political economy junior,
ASMSU director of
university, governmental
and budgetary affairs