Gov. Sam Brownback cuts 44.5 million in funding for schools and higher education

[n2doc]

Gov. Sam Brownback announced Thursday that he will cut funding for public schools and higher education to help keep the state solvent through June, a move that has sparked anger from some lawmakers and education advocates after his previous promises to safeguard education funding.

The automatic cuts do not need legislative approval and will go into effect March 7. The governor will cut the state’s regents universities by 2 percent and public schools by 1.5 percent across the board, for a combined savings of $44.5 million.

The cuts were announced after the state missed its January revenue expectations by $47 million.

Brownback’s announcement came just minutes before the Kansas Senate met to debate and vote on a bill to fix the budget. That bill does not affect school funding, but would move money out of the state highway fund and other dedicated funds to meet state expenses through the end of June. In all, the budget bill makes nearly $250 million in fund transfers and spending reductions.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article9351788.html

[KeepItReal]

1. "Bobby" Jindal has that beat with $300 million in cuts to higher education in Louisiana

He's staring down the barrel of a 1.6 BILLION DOLLAR deficit that he and the GOP created out of a budget surplus left by Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco.

Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration said Louisiana's colleges and universities should be prepared to sustain anywhere from $200 million to $300 million in cuts during the 2015-2016 school year.

Several legislators -- including House Speaker Chuck Kleckley and state Senate Finance chairman Jack Donahue -- say the prospect of a $200 million to $300 million cut to higher education is "devastating."

"I don't see how we can sustain that to be honest with you," said State Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, who chairs the Louisiana House Education Committee that oversees colleges and universities. "They are unsustainable. You just can't do them."

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/01/what_does_it_mean_to_cut_300_m.html

[n2doc]

2. Give Brownback time

He'll catch up.
After all, the only book that needs to be learned is the Bible

[Midnight Writer]

3. Governor Walker of Wisconsin, also 300 million cut

Amounts to 13% of state college funding in Wisconsin, which has one of the finest public college systems in the world.

Walker has also aggressively targeted college voters (who voted strongly against him) and public sector union workers, many of whom work at state colleges.

Keep the people poor (by stomping on their collective bargaining rights), ignorant (by cutting education funding) and don't forget to suppress their votes. Sounds like a winning Republican Presidential strategy.

[blkmusclmachine]

4. Christian reconstructionism.

[the_sly_pig]

5. You are exactly right.

I was looking for a phrase to exactly describe what is happening and you provided it. Thanks much.