The Senate rejected a proposal Wednesday to allow low-income residents attending Colorado State University campuses to receive free tuition.

Senators voted 18-15 to kill an amendment to the state's $17.8 billion spending plan that also would have frozen tuition rates for families earning less than $45,000 a year.

Democrats who floated the proposal cried foul, arguing that it was meant to end a longtime inequity in how CSU is funded compared with other colleges.

Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver, contends that CSU is in danger of losing its status as a top-notch teaching and research university because drastic cuts to higher education funding during the recession have largely not been restored by the state.

"The question is, do we want to secure a better future for low-income kids and freeze tuition for the middle class? We're talking about the future of Colorado," Groff said.

The Senate gave its initial blessing to the "long bill," the state's spending plan for next fiscal year.

On day three of budget debates, the Senate floated more than 45 amendments to the bill, prompting an outcry from one Democrat who called it "unconscionable."

Tempers flared over a proposal to allow CSU to charge students for every credit hour they take. Currently, CSU - unlike other state schools - is limited to charging each student only nine hours per semester.

The proposal would bring in $34 million more annually for CSU.

The CSU student association opposed the proposal, saying it would benefit only the lowest-income students, while the rest of the student body's tuition and fees would skyrocket.

Some lawmakers estimated that students from middle-income families would see a 36 percent tuition hike under the plan.

"It's a huge increase," said Luke Ragland, legislative director for the Associated Students of Colorado State University. "This is coming out of nowhere."

CSU President Larry Penley argued that CSU should be allowed to charge for every credit hour, since other schools, including CU, the University of Northern Colorado and Colorado School of Mines, do so.

The average CSU student takes 15 credits per semester but only pays for nine, meaning CSU subsidizes the rest, Penley said.

"We are simply asking for fairness," he said.

Gov. Bill Ritter has said he wants to limit tuition increases next year to 7 percent for CSU and the University of Colorado, 5 percent for state colleges and 3 percent for community colleges.

Ritter's spokesman, Evan Dreyer, said the governor stands by the proposal because he feels it keeps tuition affordable for all students. Under the state's proposed budget, spending would increase for higher education $52 million.

"The Senate did the right thing," Dreyer said. "Gov. Ritter's initial proposal is a much more moderate approach to providing higher education with additional funds while protecting middle-income families and their children."

In other budget action, senators struck down or withdrew numerous amendments that attempted to raid nearly $18 million from funds allocated for 3.7 percent wage increases for state employees to fund public school needs and road improvements.

Joint Budget Committee Chairman Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, blocked such an effort and argued that the proposed bump in pay and benefits hardly makes up for ground state workers lost during the recession.

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