Four weeks down, another four to go. The regular session has officially passed its midway mark, and the state’s lack of money, which takes form in a $1.3 billion shortfall, remains a major focus. In particular, education officials are working overtime to frame their argument on House Bill 1, the state’s operating budget. The appropriation bill has already passed the full House and is now being perused by the Senate Finance Committee. The panel met in a rare Saturday meeting over the weekend and heard testimony from local business leaders Jim Bernhard, Shaw Group CEO, and Sean Reilly, Lamar Advertising COO.
Both men encouraged lawmakers to take whatever steps necessary to save higher education from more than $219 million in cuts. Earlier this month, Bernhard made his money match his mouth when he returned $13.5 million in economic development funds back to the state with instruction that it be used to help plug the gaps in higher ed. But education officials contend that lawmakers made a bad decision — one of many — by not assigning the corporate cash to general operating expenses.
University of Louisiana System President Randy Moffett says recent efforts by the House to earmark $50 million for higher education may also not be available from its source, the tax amnesty program. Moreover, the monies generated from the 5% tuition increase approved by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will only address $13 million in unfunded, mandated costs, which are in addition to the recommended budget cuts approved by Gov. Bobby Jindal. “We’re still looking at a drastic budget cut to our universities,” Moffett says. Read the full story here.—Jeremy Alford
