By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – College and universities that have been pinching their pennies while waiting for the state to pass a budget would finally see some funding from the state under a proposal that state Rep. Dan Brady is pushing, but it would still be a funding cut.

Universities would get 20 percent less than last year, community colleges 10 percent while student MAP grants would be fully funded. Brady told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin the $1.68 billion measure accompanies another bill to sweep state funds to cover the cost.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Brady on WJBC.

“This is tangible, this is something real,” Brady said. “If you are talking to (officials in higher education), they don’t embrace it all believe me, but having some budget is better than no budget.

Brady, who serves as minority spokesman on the House Higher Education-Appropriations Committee, said he will file the Higher Education Act on Wednesday in conjunction with a measure that would pay for it through sweeps of other state funds.

“I don’t like it, but that’s how we filled the hole in the 2015 budget,” Brady noted. “This is something that the majority (of educators) I have talked to say ‘It’s a lot better than what we have doing now, Dan. Give it a shot.’ ”

Brady said Gov. Bruce Rauner has told him he’ll sign the measure if it passes, even though he has called for a 30-percent cut to higher ed.

“This is a realistic compromise that I sincerely hope (House) Speaker (Mike Madigan) and our colleagues in the other side of the aisle will join us in passing immediately,” Brady said. “Our students and universities can’t wait any longer.”

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].