Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

carson city:

Lawmakers to universities: Go back to 2006 spending level

CARSON CITY – Legislative leaders told university officials to stop complaining about the governor’s budget cuts and begin drawing up a plan to roll back spending to 2006 levels.

Such a plan would be an 18 percent cut from current spending levels.

Gov. Jim Gibbons proposed slicing the state’s support for the Nevada System for Higher Education by 37 percent in his budget leading system officials to complain they have been singled out.

Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said today that other programs took bigger hits in the governor’s budget. There were 100 percent reductions in an autism program and medical care for low income pregnant women. Eleven of 18 mental health clinics in rural Nevada could be closed.

Assemblyman Debbie Smith, D-Reno, told Dan Klaich, the executive vice chancellor of the system, that he was not providing answers the lawmakers need to make decisions.

Klaich, who bore the brunt of the criticism, said there would be no layoffs if the 2006-level budget were approved. But there could be a layoff of 2,000-2,200 personnel if the governor’s budget is approved.

The university regents have approved a plan to increase tuition by 5 percent in each of the next two years. Klaich told the budget subcommittee of the Legislature that any further hike in tuition should be in the low single digits.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford said he wants the university to set priorities on where funds should be cut.

Buckley told reporters after the hearing that “Klaich testified that at a minimum the university needed to be funded at ’06 levels. I agree with that.”

“That’s wise for the university to submit an alternate budget than what was submitted by the governor,” Buckley said. “What levels of cuts that should include is still up for discussion.”

“I think they should present an alternate budget that prevents higher education from being decimated,” Buckley said.

The university system has $677 million in state support this fiscal year and Gibbons sought to reduce it to $432.3 million next fiscal year.

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