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Legislation is pending in the Illinois House that would provide more higher-education money to smaller state universities at the expense of the University of Illinois.

Ironically, one of the legislation’s chief sponsors is Urbana Democratic state Rep. Carol Ammons, who represents the UI in the General Assembly.

Ammons has touted House Bill 1581 as establishing a “funding formula that gives us a baseline that will allow us to build an adequate system for the future.”

The measure, which has several dozen co-sponsors, passed the House Higher Education Committee on March 26 and is awaiting further action.

Under the legislation, the state would approve — on top of current spending — an annual $135 million increase in higher-education spending for 15 years.

The funds would be directed to individual schools through a specific “equitable funding model” based on perceived need and equity.

Nicholas Jones, the No. 2 man in the University of Illinois System, said the legislation doesn’t take into consideration the vast responsibilities of the UI’s three campuses or the fact that more than 50 percent of the state’s 177,000 university students attend the UI.

He said the UI’s Urbana campus would receive about 2.2 percent of the $135 million.

“Ultimately, this is going to weaken (educational) outcomes on which the state depends,” Jones said.

The legislation is patterned after the state’s K-12 funding formula, which outlines future planned spending for public schools.

Unfortunately, the state’s fiscal problems have prevented full funding under the K-12 formula. Teachers’ unions have charged the state is $5 billion behind in its commitments.

So it remains to be seen if the state actually will have the additional $135 million to add to existing higher-education funding. If not, there’s a formula for awarding lesser sums.

The UI finds itself on a political island in this debate. Because other state schools, which need and want budget increases, stand to benefit, they are not concerned about the UI.

State Rep. Chapin Rose, a Mahomet Republican, said he’s conflicted on the legislation because he represents both Eastern Illinois, which benefits, and the UI, which doesn’t.

“Everybody else in the bill does really well, but not the UI,” he said.

Other smaller schools would enjoy larger percentage increases in funding.

EIU, which has 6,300 students, would get a 22 percent hike from current funds; Chicago State, with 2,300 students, would get a 15 percent budget increase; Governors State, with 4,400 students, a 35 percent increase; and Western Illinois, 7,300 students, a 21 percent increase.

Larger schools, like Illinois State (20,000 students) and Northern Illinois (nearly 16,000), would receive 19 percent and 15.5 percent increases, respectively.

Increases are based on what are called “adequacy gaps” — the difference between what bill supporters believe should be appropriated in the future and what actually has been appropriated.

Despite its potential impact, the issue, so far, has been relatively low-profile, confined largely to proponents and opponents of the plan. But it drew statewide attention last week when leaders of two prominent groups — Mark Denzler of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Jack Lavin of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce — raised what they called “serious concerns” about the legislation.

They said “reforms of this magnitude should be thoughtful, data-driven and carefully evaluated to ensure they strengthen the entire system.”

Citing vast research and public/private partnerships across its campuses, they said the University of Illinois “connects public universities, industry partners and communities across the state to advance entrepreneurship, research collaboration and workforce training programs.”

They urged legislators to “hit pause … and take the time to get this thing right.”

Unmentioned, but equally important, is the competition for students and attendance imbalances among Illinois public universities, some of which have been struggling with declining enrollments.

EIU and Western Illinois, both important economic engines in their communities, are down from previous highs. So, too, is Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (11,000 students), fewer than its one-time satellite campus, SIU-Edwardsville (12,600).

Three schools — Chicago State, Governors State and Northeastern Illinois — have fewer than 15,000 students combined.