Thanks to the members of the state House Appropriations Committee who kept their watches running Thursday.

The committee voted 18-11 to revive the repeal of the tuition tax credit, which appeared to die two days earlier in subcommittee. The substitute measure approved by the full committee would refund about $27 million to in-state university students.

MSU students taking 15 credits stand to get refunds or tuition reductions of $82 this semester and in the spring.

A measure that would have given all MSU students tuition reductions did not pass the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education on Tuesday after a majority - six representatives - didn’t approve the measure. Instead, it failed on a vote of 5-2, with one representative absent, one abstaining and Williamston Republican Paul DeWeese late for the vote.

DeWeese, who has been a vocal supporter of the repeal, walked into the meeting while the vote was taking place and wasn’t allowed to cast his yea vote, which would have sent the bill on.

We applaud the Appropriations Committee for doing the right thing and sending this measure on. A similar plan has already been approved by the Senate and Gov. John Engler has supported repealing the credit for some time.

The House would do well to move on this measure quickly this week. This measure keeps with the ideals set forth in the tax credit and helps thousands of state citizens.

The intentions of the tuition tax credit - to keep tuition increases from rising faster than the rate of inflation - are sound. But with costs and shrinking state aid, such a measure is not realistic.

We hope the near death of the tax credit repeal has taught DeWeese and other members of the Legislature a lesson about the importance of timeliness.

If not, maybe the tax credit money should go to buy watches for our legislators. Apparently the nearly 36 percent pay raises they took earlier this year wasn’t enough for a good timepiece.