Jindal says budget protects higher ed

Gov. Bobby Jindal says universities will not see a funding reduction next fiscal year if his proposed budget is adopted. Jindal is proposing a $24.9 billion budget next year—down $1 billion from this year. It assumes the sale of three state prisons and increased state employee retirement payments. Jindal outlined his recommendations today for closing a $1.6 billion budget gap for the fiscal year that begins July 1. His budget replaces nearly $290 million in federal stimulus money, which is disappearing, with $105 million in state general fund dollars and $98 million in one-time statutory dedications, with the rest made up for with $90 million in self-generated revenue made possible by last year’s GRAD Act. “If you look at total funding for higher education, from state dollars, federal dollars and self-generated dollars, there’s no decrease in FY 12 versus FY 11,” Jindal says. The budget makes up for a $1.6 billion shortfall with about $1.1 billion in cuts, about $474 million in one-time revenues and greater efficiencies, he says. His budget eliminates about 4,000 full-time positions, just under half of which are currently filled, maintains the current level of MFP funding for K-12 education, and includes no cuts to private health care provider rates and no reductions in health care services, he says. The governor’s top budget adviser will present Jindal’s budget proposal Friday in more detail to the House and Senate budget committees. Lawmakers will spend months combing through the spending proposals before crafting a final budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year. —David Jacobs