Higher ed fund cuts still unclear

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 25, 2009 - Page: 6A

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Louisiana’s higher education leaders said Wednesday they are heading into today’s final day of the legislative session still unsure about where budget cuts to colleges will end up.

Officials from the state’s top college oversight board, the state Board of Regents, are predicting 15 percent budget cuts of state funding for colleges could be reduced by at least $70 million to $80 million if the House and Senate can resolve some of their differences. But many questions remain.

“We thought we’d have a better idea of where we stand,” said Donnie Vandal, Regents deputy commissioner for finance. “There’s lots of ways things can get muddied and unclear.”

Higher education funding has been a dominant issue of the legislative session during a time of budget cuts because of $1.3 billion in expected state revenue reductions.

The House and Senate have fought over what to do with $219 million in proposed cuts to higher education. The House wants to reduce the cuts by more than $60 million while the  Senate does not want more than $100 million to be cut from colleges.

Gov. Bobby Jindal and the House managed to blockade Senate plans to delay state income tax breaks to generate $118 million in extra dollars for colleges.

Jindal and leaders from both chambers have agreed to use some state “rainy day” funds to help higher education and health care, but they disagree on how much to take. All sides are still conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations going into today’s final day.

The Board of Regents wanted the $219 million to be cut at least in half.

State Higher Education Commissioner Sally Clausen said the unlikely best-case scenario still has colleges being cut by $100 million and that’s not counting $55 million already cut from higher education in January.

The state last year dedicated $1.4 billion to colleges, which is about half of all college revenues.

“We’re almost finished, and we’ve said what we had to say,” Clausen said. “Now’s the time for mending and moving forward.”

Regent Mary Ellen Roy of New Orleans said it seems legislators do not want to let go of state dollars for their “member amendments,” calling them “slush fund” projects.

The next step after the final level of cuts is determined is that colleges will move forward with restructuring and layoff plans that are still in flux.