We’ve been harsh in our previous criticisms of many state government officials for their inept handling of the budget crisis — specifically for allowing higher education to suffer cuts far more severe than the rest of the state budget. We’ve been especially hard on Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has not previously shown the leadership and fortitude to spend political capital on remedying the problems. Fortunately, it appears Jindal is starting to acknowledge the mounting pressure to protect the state’s universities. Jindal announced earlier this year his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year would not include cuts to higher education.It was a commendable move, but recent events have unfortunately forced Jindal to rescind that goal. The legislature learned last week that it needs to cut $319 million before June 30. The announcement has sent legislators scrambling to find ways to cut programs, and higher education sadly hasn’t escaped the chopping block. For his part, Jindal has continued to prioritize higher education. Jindal’s budget calls for the University to cut $3 million before June — far less than the $11 million administrators were preparing to cut.Jindal appears to have realized the gashes to higher education will cause significant damage to the state for a long time in the future.That said, this is just a first step. Jindal’s budget has to be approved by the legislature. That means it’s subject to tweaks, overhauls and modifications. Jindal has set the stage for concrete good, but he has to expend the effort and risk the political exposure to see that good actually gets done. This is what leadership is about — not just having the foresight to say what should be done, but having the dedication to actually see it through.—-Contact the Editorial Board at [email protected]