Legislature to boost funding OPINION From the Daily: Tallying the damage Sorting out the facts and figures for this year's incoming class, it's obvious that the University needs to up its game against the affirmative action ban. See Page 4 ARTS Lil Wayne returns with smash album Tha Carter ltl brings rapper to the forefront of modern hip hop thanks to ingenious singles and audacious lyrics. See Page 9 SPORTS Brown recharged Junior free safety Stevie Brown considered transferring after being benched in Michigan's opening loss to Appalachian State but still sees himself as a leader on this year's defense. See Page 11 By LINDY STEVENS Daily News Editor Both houses of the Michigan Legislature agree higher educa- tion funding should increase this year. They just can't seem to agree on how much. While the House of Representa- tives voted Wednesday to increase funding to the state's universi- ties, the state Senate rejected the increase the next day because the amount allotted by the House wasn't as high as the senators additional funds - more than any would have liked. public university in the state. A bill passed by the state House Members of the House and Sen- would have allocated $332.4 mil- ate are expected to start negotia- lion in funding to the University tions on the bill next week. for the 2008-2009 fiscal year - an Leslee Fritz, spokesperson for increase of more than $8.9 mil- the State Budget Office, said any lion from last year. The legislation talk of increased funding is good would have increased higher edu- news for Michigan's universities. cation funding to each university "There is a general agreement by an average of 2.8 percent. among everybody that higher Though Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann education deserves and needs an Arbor) voted in favor of the House increase in funding," Fritz said. bill, she said other senators held off "Now it's just the question of how approving the 2.8-percent funding much and how to distribute it." hike in hopes of securing a 3-per- Fritz said part of the problem cent increase that was passed by has to do with differences in how the Senate in March. the House and Senate split up the That version of the bill gave the $2.35 billion allocated to fund University just over $9.7 million in See FUNDING, Page 2 WAVING IN THE SUMMER by 'U' Despite minority application decline, admissions rate stays level By JULIE ROWE Managing News Editor After the passage of the 2006 ballot initiative banning race- and gender-based affirmative action, University officials said they braced for a significant decrease in the number of underrepresented minorities in this year's freshman class but thatthey were delighted to report a relatively low decline. Underrepresented minorities, which the University defines as black, Hispanic or Native Ameri- can, will make up 10.5 percent of the Class of 2012. The class from the previous year was comprised of 10.8 percent underrepresented minority students. The Class of 2011 were admitted during an elec- tion cycle place partially after the affirmative action ban took effect. The Class of 2010, the last to be chosen prior to the ban, was made up of 12.6 percent underrepresent- ed minorities. Despite fears that minority stu- dents would feel unwelcome on campus in the wake of the ban, 48 percent of those students offered See ADMISSIONS, Page 8 INDEX Vol. cxviii. No. t42 02000 The Michigan Daily michigondaily.com SUDOKU................... OPINION ........................... . CLASSIFIEDS........................... CROSSWORD.......................... A R T S ........................................ SPO R TS .......... .. .................. ......2 .....4 ......6 .....6 .....9 ,....11 Detroit resident Marco Mancinelli entertains the crowd with flags and umbrellas in front of Rackham Auditorium last Friday during Top of the Park, an outdoor music and movie series that is part of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival.