Governor proposes lean budget, with big higher ed cuts
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HARRISBURG -- Gov. Tom Corbett has unveiled his plan for a $27.14 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, proposing another round of significant cuts to higher education and smaller decreases across many agencies. He said transportation was not a budget issue, and that solutions would depend on the Legislature.
That overall spending figure nearly matches the current $27.16 billion plan, which was the result of deep reductions to schools and state social-services.
"Today I bring before you a budget grounded in difficult realities but framed in the optimism that we are solving our problems," Gov. Tom Corbett said in his remarks to state lawmakers that started just before noon.
He touted last year's first on-time spending plan in eight years as well as the approval of tort reform legislation. Looking to the coming year, he outlined an increased use of block grants for county funding and school districts, saying it "gives more flexibility at level where this money will be spent."
The administration said that maintaining spending amount will require some painful reductions in order to avoid raising taxes following what is now projected to be a $719 million deficit by the end of June.
PDFThree of the four state-related universities -- the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, and Temple University -- would see a 30 percent cut. The fourth, Lincoln University, would be flat-funded.
The State System of Higher Education colleges also would see fewer funds, with a 20 percent decrease proposed for those schools.
The governor announced the creation of a panel to study the state's higher education system and "to make recommendations on how our universities can best serve the students and citizens of this new century."
First Published February 7, 2012 11:31 am
