News Team Boulder

Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: News

Democratic state legislators are offering an alternative budget plan Thursday to prevent cuts in funding from Colorado's colleges and universities.

The original budget bill, which would promote the cuts, is currently being debated by the House. The alternative proposal would be added as an amendment to the original bill.

Republican state legislators originally proposed cutting $300 million to higher education in Colorado, according to the Associated Press Wednesday. One possible cut would save $3 million by eradicating salary increases for state educational instructors.

Governor Bill Ritter said this week that budget cuts to higher education will not happen. If $300 million was cut from higher education, Ritter would lose $760 million in stimulus money. The stimulus money would be revoked only if higher education spending dropped below 2005 levels.

Ritter plans on spending at least $150 million on higher education this year.

CU has already had to deal with $7.9 million in state budget cuts this year. The University has suspended hiring new professors and expect class sizes to increase.

To find out more:

Gov. Ritter's Statement on Budget Cuts

CU's Current Budget

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