(AP) — Four former Louisiana governors held a private meeting Thursday with Gov. Bobby Jindal, urging him to find a way to lessen planned budget cuts for the state’s public colleges in a rare display of advice-giving from the people who once held Jindal’s job.
The unusual meeting involved Dave Treen, Buddy Roemer, Mike Foster and Kathleen Blanco — all Louisiana’s living ex-governors except the jailed Edwin Edwards.
“I hope we can convince the governor to take some steps to lower the disastrous impact of the higher education cuts,” said Treen, a Republican who served as governor more than 20 years ago.
Roemer said he was responsible for organizing the meeting. Foster said the former governors were concerned the level of higher education cuts under discussion at the Capitol could be damaging to campuses.
“Most of the people I’ve talked to think that the cut level right now would really be tough, not giving them enough time to go into an orderly reduction,” Foster said of the colleges as he waited to meet with Jindal.
The meeting highlights a drumbeat of concern directed to Jindal about the depth of cuts.
Jindal initially proposed cutting $220 million from the higher education budget next year. The state Senate reduced that by more than half — but tied it to delay of a planned tax break. Jindal opposes the financing plan and hasn’t offered an alternative approach to reach the same lower level of cuts.
Jindal planned a morning press conference with the governors after the behind-the-scenes meeting ended.—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s news staff at [email protected]