Education key issue in state budget speech
By HOLLY WISE
Staff Writer
After hearing Gov. Steve Beshear's first budget address Tuesday night, Murray State University could be facing a budget cut of $8 million for the next two years if the governor's proposed budget is passed as is, according to university president Dr. Randy Dunn.
“That is severe. It would create a tremendous hardship on this campus to be able to deal with that level of cuts. But nonetheless that is what we've had put in front of us ,” Dunn said this morning.
Dunn was heartened to hear comments from Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, and Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, after the speech when they both expressed some openness to look at the higher education budgets.
“We shouldn't start ringing the alarm bells yet. This budget is a long way from being over,” said Dunn. “We have a lot of time to go yet before we know where we sit.”
Dunn said the budget will be attended to very carefully in Frankfort as it moves through the House and the Senate.
“I think it's inappropriate to pull the alarm bell until we get a little closer to mid-April when we know what this budget is going to look like,” he said. “But we're going to be working administratively to start cataloging possible cuts, cost containment savings and looking at various tuition scenarios.”
Murray State University's science complex received mention by name during the governor's address for which Dunn said he was thankful for.
“I was glad that the governor explicitly mentioned Murray State in the budget speech and included language that would allow us to access our 2006 appropriated money to finish the chemistry building,” he added.
State Rep. Melvin Henley, D-Murray, said he was pleasantly surprised that the science complex was singled out for mention.
“I felt very comfortable that he was going to have it in his budget because he and his staff had promised me that it would be,” Henley said today. “I've sat on their front steps for the last two weeks to make sure and it was rewarding to actually have it mentioned in his budget address.”
Beshear made it clear he regretted the financial situation universities are finding themselves in. “In postsecondary education, I am deeply disturbed by the agonizing position in which we find ourselves,” he said. “I strongly believe in the missions and goals of our colleges and universities and I regret offering a budget with reductions in this area.
The governor committed that need-based student financial aid programs would not be harmed from reductions while encouraging university presidents and boards to “discover greater management efficiency and cost containment.”
State Sen. Ken Winters, R-Murray, said his “heart goes out to the universities because it would appear that they're going to be cut to some degree.”
“There was a commitment on the governor's part to restore some funding for Bucks for Brains ($60 million bond authorization) and including all those projects that were vetoed from earlier budget times.”
“These had the support of both the House and Senate in 2006,” said Beshear. “Many are on the campuses of our state universities. There should be no debate about moving forward now.”
Winters said he and the general assembly will “do everything we can in order to protect our institutions of education, K-12 and higher ed from as much budget cuts as we possibly can.”
“We all know our economic future, our cultural future, everything depends on a solid educational experience so it becomes so important to us to do everything we can to make sure that experience is a positive one for our students.”
Story created Jan 30, 2008 - 12:19:55 EST.
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