Jeff Pitchford of Government Relations invited Sen.Gilbert Baker to speak in the conference room of Wingo Hall at 2 p.m. Jan. 28. Pitchford said that he would like a senator to speak every Friday and that representative Linda Tyler would be at UCA to speak in two weeks. Former Arkansas Gov. Ben Laney is able to appropriate the amount of money each session. He decides which departments can spend what at UCA through the Revenue Stabilization Amendment. This amendment has been in the process of being amended since 1947. When amended, this amendment will appropriate funds, Baker said. He said that when revenues dip the legislature goes through revenue stabilization and the legislature makes cuts. According to the forecast, $125 million will flow over for the next fiscal year. The current fiscal year ends June 30. The governor decides how this money is spent; $7 million of this carried over money will be spent towards higher education, which is a one percent increase. Baker said that he is trying to convince others in the legislature to allow all of the money to be put toward higher education, but he is just one of 155 members. The question at hand is how much money is actually leftover after tax cuts have been made to be used toward education, Baker said. If Amendment 33 is modified, it will allow the legislature to have more control over independent agencies. The legislature will have more input on tuition fees. Baker said that if this modification were put on the ballot, it would probably pass, but it has to go through both chambers. “Does it have a good chance, no,” Baker said, “but a chance, yes.” Baker said that he would like to adjust the funding formula so that UCA is funded at least 75 percent of its costs. It is hard to get money for higher education, because most change is done over a period and either changes are made or they are forgotten about, he said. Baker said he supports annual sessions because he does not believe that a revenue projection can accurately determine what can happen in 2013. He then proceeded to talk about the lottery scholarship. The legislature gets a report every year so that it can come up with an amount for the next two to four years. Sophomores right now, he said, have been committed by legislature to receive either $2,500 or $5,000. More decisions must be made in order to keep this from changing. The university has to turn students down for scholarships because they are not able to award all distinguished students. There are too many students making a 32 or higher on their ACT’s, he said. Baker said that challenges to receive the lottery scholarship should be reinstated because as it stands now the scholarship is too accessible and is being awarded to more than it can fund. “When it comes down to general improvements,” Pitchford said, “Baker gives it all to UCA.” Baker said that the chancellors meet every Monday to go over bills and files. “We in higher education get our process and strategy together as the [legislation]session builds up. We decide what bills we are for and against,” he said.