"The fat lady has not sung yet," said Democratic Representative Phillip Hubbard.

Hubbard and fellow Tucson legislators wanted to send the message to the more than 300 faculty, staff and students who turned out for the legislative hearing held last night that the legislature has not voted on a final budget and, until then, anything can happen.

"Although public testimony has been heard we're going to take back a whole lot more," Hubbard said.

The five Tucson legislators all said they were pleased with the hearing's turnout in the UA College of Education's Kiva Auditorium. Democratic Rep. George Cunningham, a former UA administrator, said testimony given from the more than 30 UA faculty and student speakers will have an impact on the "rank and file" when it comes down to the final decision.

"I just wanted to indicate that any rumors to the effect that a final budget has been set in concrete is definitively wrong," Cunningham said.

Each of the legislators took a moment to tell the standing-room only crowd his position on Arizona education. Each said he was concerned with the lack of emphasis placed on education and that the system needs more money.

Republican Rep. Freddy Hershberger, a self-described "Republican little old lady," said, "Education is the bottom line and we've got to do better by it."

Representatives Andy Nichols and Jorge Garcia rounded out the legislative panel.

UA Provost Paul Sypherd opened the hearing, saying that although the university has been given a 1.7 percent proposed increase to the bottom line, it actually translates to a 7 percent decrease because of past budget cuts, which means a shortfall of about $8.5 million.

"I believe we are on the verge of compromising programs," Sypherd said about the expected shortfall.

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee is considering a proposed budget from the joint subcommittee that includes $225 million for the UA main campus and $46.4 million for Arizona Health Sciences Center. The UA is projecting a critical need of $9.5 million for UA main and $1.3 million for AHSC.

ASUA president Benjamin Driggs said he spoke from the viewpoint of a student leader. He said when he testified at the capital last month, he did not have a chance to speak from this perspective but instead answered legislators' questions concerning student basketball tickets.

Driggs said since coming to the UA as a freshman, he has seen the university cut 339 employees. He said he has seen the UA become more efficient in the last four years and, at the same time, it has done a better job fulfilling its mission.

"The quality of undergraduate education has improved," Driggs said, "and it has done it with less resources."

Driggs addressed several areas that the proposed budget does not, beginning with the idea that legislators did not account for inflationary costs within the UA's main library.

"Without inflationary dollars, there is no way the library can keep up with the demand," he said.

Driggs also talked about the Student Learning Strategies program, which needed $900,000 per year; K-16 Partnerships, which involved college students mentoring high school students; and Earn and Learn, a state financial aid program that allocates money to students who find jobs in their designated fields while going to school.

Other speakers cited the UA's involvement in the community and how it might decrease if proposed budget cuts come through.

Julie Haynes, molecular and cellular biology senior, represented the group Science Connection, which puts UA science students into high school and elementary school classrooms.

"This is such an important program for the youth of Tucson," Haynes said. "The knowledge of science in students coming out of high school is alarmingly low."

Budget cuts are also affecting the quality of faculty salaries, said J. Douglas Canfield, regents professor of English.

Canfield talked about a three-phase 1990 legislative move to correct an imbalance in faculty salaries. He said Phase I came through but that faculty members have not seen Phase II or Phase III.

Faculty were awarded a 2 percent merit increase in last year's budget, but the state may take that away this year.

"You will lose the best," he said. "I don't think you want the flagship of the state of Arizona to dwindle to mediocrity."

The UA hearing was held jointly with one at Arizona State University with Phoenix legislators. The legislature is expected to vote on a finalized budget at the end of next month.