Lawmakers restored $21 million for a regional university stabilization fund and engaged in extensive debate over whether to restore community and technical college funding the House had removed, and whether funding should be made contingent on passage of legislation allowing permissive affiliation between regents institutions and technical/community colleges (SB 293).

What the committee did
- Restored $21 million in SGF for a regional stabilization fund covering Fort Hays State, Emporia State, Wichita State and Pittsburg State.
- After extended debate, the committee considered and ultimately adopted a house‑mirroring substitute motion on a package of community and technical college funding items (student success, operating grants, capital outlay and CTE funding). The conferenceable position reflected a compromise between immediate funding restorations and requirements to examine policy via ongoing or future review.

Debate points
Supporters argued the regionals and community colleges were overlooked and merit restoration of funding that supports operations and student success. Opponents urged caution and sought clearer policy guardrails: some senators pressed for a review of ending balances across community colleges and for the funding to be tied to statutory policy changes that would require boards to pursue affiliation only if they choose.

Policy tie to SB 293
Committee discussion tied restoration of several items to passage of SB 293 or similar legislation permitting institutional affiliation. Proponents said permissive affiliation could create efficiencies and improve educational delivery; opponents said such policy changes need more vetting and that tying funding to pending legislation could hold appropriations hostage to policy outcomes.

Outcome and next steps
The committee voted to restore the regional stabilization fund and advanced a package of higher‑education funding items with some positions for conference; members asked staff to provide ending-balance data for community colleges and to continue policy reviews through interim committees and conference discussions.

Provenance
Topic introduction: higher education discussion began about s=10247.42 and continued through the committee’s votes on community college and regional funds (~s=12940–12960).