BOISE Idaho legislative budget writers Friday narrowly endorsed an 11.5 percent hike in state support for Idaho's colle

ge and three universities in the next budget year.

After rejecting four other proposals, the legislative budget committee voted 10-9 to recommend the Legislature adopt a $162.77 million budget proposed by committee co-chairwoman Rep. Kathleen (Kitty) Gurnsey, R-Boise.

The committee's recommendation is $2.8 million more than Gov. Cecil D. Andrus proposed, but $7.1 million short of the Idaho Board of Education's request.

''I think it's a good budget,'' said state Sen. Marguerite McLaughlin, D-Orofino. ''We didn't do all that bad.''

McLaughlin supported the committee's ultimate budget recommendation, while state Rep. James (Doc) Lucas, R-Moscow, opposed it. McLaughlin earlier backed Lucas' proposal for a $165 million budget, but it failed on a tie vote.

The committee's higher education budget recommendation includes:

*5.38 percent pay hikes for employees at Lewis-Clark State College and the state's three universities.

*$2.69 million to cover the cost of rising enrollments.

*$483,900 to cover the cost of occupying new buildings.

*$196,400 to increase the state's higher education research budget to $2.1 million. That budget was cut from $2.5 million to $1.

9 million last year.

*$396,000 to train teachers with high-technology at all four schools.

Andrus recommended using $3.07 million from student fee hikes to cover the cost for rising enrollments and occupying new buildings, according to legislative budget analysts, but the committee's recommendation doesn't do that.

The governor recommended giving $150,000 to Idaho State University to launch a nurse practitioner program in northern Idaho and $200,000 for an ISU nursing assistant program, but the committee opted to leave that decision up to the Idaho Board of Education. Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston and Moscow are potential sites for the nurse practitioner program.

''When you give them $6 million in new dollars, if they want a nurse practioners program, if they want a nursing assistant program or want to do something else, they have a good number of new dollars to work with,'' Gurnsey said.

She cited the $2.69 million appropriation for increased enrollments and $3.07 in student fee revenues as ''new dollars.''

Gurnsey said the budget committee recommended financing new vocational education programs at ISU, LCSC and Boise State University, but not the UI. But the UI gets most of the higher education research budget, which is being increased by $196,400, she said.

Lucas contended a one-time appropriation of $5 million for higher

education employees makes the budget recommendation look larger than

it actually is. If that money is factored out, Idaho's universities

and one college would get an 8.3 percent budget hike under the

committee's recommendation.

He contended it's only fair that the committee treat all parts of

the education system the same.

The budget committee will consider setting the public schools'

budget next week and is expected to recommend roughly a $95 million

hike in state support to $623 million.