Gov. Bobby Jindal announced at a press conference Wednesday afternoon his plans to use state surplus funds to invest in capital outlay projects for higher education.Joined by legislators and Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen, the governor said he will use $98.4 million in surplus money from the 2007-08 fiscal year to fund higher education projects.”This commitment to higher education projects is another example that even while Louisiana has tightened our belt from times of decreased revenue, we’re going to continue to invest in priorities to move our state forward,” Jindal said. Both two- and four-year institutions will receive funds, the governor said. The 21 infrastructure projects receiving surplus funds include about $5 million for the University’s new band hall and a chiller at LSU South Campus, $12.2 million for LSU at Eunice to construct a building with technology laboratories and lecture halls and $11 million dollars for the new clinical research facility at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.McNeese State University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Southern University and Louisiana Tech University, among others, will also receive funding.In addition, Jindal said the 2010 budget will provide about $65 million in funding for infrastructure projects within the Louisiana Community and Technical College System for the 2009-10 fiscal year beginning July 1. “These funds will help support significant infrastructure projects, but because we’re using surplus and bond proceeds, we can get this construction started right away,” Jindal said. “Dedicating these surplus dollars is yet another way we’re demonstrating our commitment to higher education in Louisiana — even in a time of reduced state revenue when government must tighten its belt.”Jindal said this is his second recommendation to the Legislature on the use of surplus funds. He said he thinks it would be a wise investment to use these funds to invest in the state’s colleges and universities. Jindal will submit to the Legislature on Friday his 2009-10 executive budget proposal, in which higher education state funding will be reduced by about 8 percent, he said.State college leaders were told to expect a budget cut of about $219 million for next fiscal year at a closed-door meeting with Jindal last Friday, according to a prepared statement by Clausen.Clausen and all four college system presidents — for the University of Louisiana System, the Louisiana State University System, the Southern University System and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System — met with Jindal and his staff to discuss the budget. While surplus funds cannot be used to supplement the possibly hefty budget cuts, investment in capital outlay projects will keep the state moving forward, Jindal said. “We’re going to have to do more with less, set priorities and make sure that even while we’re tightening our belt, that we are moving forward,” Jindal said.—-Contact Kyle Bove at [email protected]