Nixon's Budget Cuts Slash $106 Million from Higher Education
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Nixon's Budget Cuts Slash $106 Million from Higher Education

Date: January 17, 2012
By: Elizabeth Hagedorn
State Capitol Bureau
Links: The budget proposals

Intro: 
Higher education is on the chopping block under Governor Jay Nixon's latest budget proposal.
RunTime:  0:45
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Nixon's proposed budget would slash the funding for all four year institutions by 15 percent.

This is the third straight year of higher ed cuts from Nixon.

This, Nixon's office says, will help plug the hole in the $500 million estimated budget gap for this year.

State Budget Director Linda Luebbering blamed a slow economy for the budget shortfall.

Actuality:  LUB1.WAV
Run Time:  00:09
Description: The cuts, the additional cuts, that we are needing to recommend are not things that we could recommend if revenue had picked up more quickly.

State workers would see a 2 percent pay raise, although the budget would eliminate around 800 state jobs. 

But this isn't a done deal. The legislature has until early May to rework the budget.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Elizabeth Hagedorn, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro: 
Governor Jay Nixon has proposed the largest percentage cut to public universities Missouri has seen in two decades.
RunTime:  0:42
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Nixon has proposed a 15 percent cut in funding for all the state's four year institutions.

This would mark the third year in a row of funding cuts to higher ed from the governor.

State Budget Director Linda Luebbering blamed the cuts on this year's drop in state revenues.

Actuality:   
Run Time:  00:12
Description: "If the economy had turned around faster, we would not be recommending that cut to higher education."

But Senate Appropriations Chairman Republican Kurt Schaeffer called these cuts to higher ed "unacceptable."

The legislature has until early May 11 to accept the budget. 

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Elizabeth Hagedorn, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.