JACKSON, Miss- Mississippi’s colleges and universities want more money for their budgets.
The eight public universities and 15 community colleges in the state are asking lawmakers to increase their budgets by more than $75 million, saying more state spending on higher education will help Mississippi’s residents earn higher incomes and strengthen the future of the state.
State agencies are presenting requests to the 14-member Joint Legislative Budget Committee. The spending plan lawmakers write will begin July 1, 2015.
At the budget hearing, questions were asked if legal efforts would force the Legislature to meet its funding promises to K-12 education.
WJTV reported, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves asked both systems Wednesday what they would do if lawmakers took $312 million from their budgets to fully fund the K-12 formula. Both say cuts like that would be disastrous.
