Gov. Bob McDonnell hopes to avoid cutting even more funds from the state's higher education budget, even though the biennial budget proposed last year only addresses half of the commonwealth's $2.2 billion in debt, according to a Wednesday press release from the governor's office.
"Large cuts over the past two years have already been made to higher education and public safety, so these areas should be largely protected," McDonnell stated in a letter to Sen. Charles Colgan, D-Manassas City, and Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford. As an alternative, McDonnell proposed funding reductions in K-12 education, as well as in health and human resources.\nDel. James Massie, R-Henrico County, said he agreed completely with McDonnell's approach.
"I think that the higher education community, public institutions like U.Va. have up until this date borne more than their fair share of the cuts," said Massie, who is a member of the House appropriations committee. "I think they will come through this next round of cuts taking proportionally less."
Del. Robert Brink, D-Arlington County, said, however, he is concerned about future cuts that Virginia public universities will face.
Though there will not be any additional cuts for the 2010 fiscal year, there will be a 26 percent reduction in higher education funding beginning July 1, 2011, he said.
"I'm concerned [because] Virginia is in a very good position to make advances after we come out of the Great Recession," Brink said, noting that the cuts will impair the potential for the education system, especially in research.
The state may hope to reduce spending, but taxpayers do not yet need to worry about increased taxes, as the General Assembly unanimously rejected former Gov. Tim Kaine's proposal to close the budget gap by raising the state income tax from 5.75 to 6.75 percent.
"I think we have a good, bipartisan consensus that we're not going to increase taxes on the families and businesses of Virginia in the midst of the worst recession since [the] Great Depression," he said.
As a result, Massie said reducing expenses would be the only suitable option for the state to reduce its debt.
"That's what the governor said at the press conference; We're going to reduce expenses by $2 billion a year," he said.
Although McDonnell's proposal has not yet been approved, Massie said he believes the appropriations committee will support it.
The House and Senate will produce their own budget proposals by Sunday. Afterward, a conference committee will merge the proposals and send the combined report back to McDonnell.
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