By ANDREA LANNOM
The Register-Herarld
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A day after switching on the State of Emergency lantern to highlight proposed reductions under legislative leadership’s budget framework, Gov. Jim Justice said proposed cuts to higher education could be “destructive.”
In a Wednesday news release, Justice said the proposed framework means between $50 million to $75 million in cuts from higher education institutions.
“The Republicans don’t want to let the people of West Virginia know just how destructive their cuts will be to higher education,” Justice said in the news release. “They need to own up to the fact that West Virginia’s schools can’t afford to take a hit like this and may result in several of them shutting their doors. If we strangle our schools into oblivion, it will hurt our students and the future of our workforce. It’s not right and the public needs to be aware of it.”
In a Tuesday press conference, Justice highlighted his concerns of reductions to the state Department of Health and Human Resources, saying the state has a “health emergency at its fingertips.”
This stems from legislative leadership’s budget framework, which was unveiled last week. House Speaker Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, and Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, said their goal is for the state to “live within its means” by staying within its $4.05 billion revenue estimate, compared to Justice’s proposal of $4.5 billion.
However, leaders said the plan also includes taking a hard look at DHHR, K-12 and higher education. Carmichael previously said the framework requires $150 million across these three agencies or $50 million from each.
Justice’s Wednesday news release also echoed calls from Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert and West Virginia University President Gordon Gee who issued a joint statement Tuesday asking the Legislature not to make cuts to higher education.
“President Gee and I are taking a stand together in support of preserving state funding for higher education as an investment in the future of our state and its people.” Gilbert said in the release. “It does not make sense to cut off one of the primary paths a state has to successful economic growth and that’s an education workforce. Higher education is absolutely vital to having the workplace companies want when they are looking to locate or expand facilities.”
Gee said although he realized that it may seem easier to cut, his view is that the better option is to invest in things that will bring prosperity to the state.
“The best way to propel West Virginia into prosperity is to leverage its assets,” Gee said in the release. “West Virginia University, Marshall University and our sister institutions here in West Virginia are assets to this state. And we remain committed to helping our state’s leaders forge solutions that will drive real change.”
Gilbert said Marshall has had $11.5 million in state cuts over the past several years and another reduction would mean a sizable tuition increase, saying it would be a real hardship on students.
Gee said WVU has had $30 million in state reductions.
“Any additional significant reductions would jeopardize the quality and value of an education that a student at West Virginia University receives, as well as the programs and services we provide to the state,” Gee said.
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