BATON ROUGE, La. ― Higher education leaders pushed back Wednesday at suggestions they are exaggerating the impact budget cuts will have on their campuses, saying the threat of midsemester shutdowns and widespread layoffs is real.
Lawmakers meeting in a special session are deciding whether to raise taxes requested by Gov. John Bel Edwards to help fill deep gaps in this year’s budget. Without those tax hikes, the Edwards administration says colleges could be hit with more than $200 million in cuts.
Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo told the House Appropriations Committee if that worst-case scenario happens, many campuses likely will suspend operations and cancel classes. University system presidents agreed.
“We will lose locations. We will reduce services. It’s a reality,” said Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. “We will be in a position where we will not be able to sustain the institutions we have today.”
Lawmakers, particularly Republicans who are showing resistance to tax increases, have bristled at headlines claiming campuses could close, students could be unable to graduate or finish courses and LSU’s football season could be canceled because the student athletes wouldn’t meet academic requirements.
“I promise you that hell will freeze over before LSU doesn’t go into Tiger Stadium this fall,” said Rep. Steve Pylant, R-Winnsboro. “I think it’s juvenile to even come up with something like that.”
Pylant and several other committee members said the state has to look at structural changes before considering tax increases.
