Big decisions loom on higher ed funding…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has big decisions coming up this morning, as it sets the higher education budgets - those for the state's colleges and universities and community colleges. The pressure is on to make deeper cuts, because thus far, the budgets JFAC has set have fallen behind its target for additional cuts beyond the governor's recommendations. Colleges and universities, which have suffered big cuts already in recent years, asked for $8.6 million more next year to cover increased enrollment, but Gov. Butch Otter didn't recommend any funding for that; instead, he called for further cuts. Here, legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee presents the figures to JFAC during its early-morning briefing before the joint committee heads to its 8 a.m. meeting.