LSU System President John Lombardi asked legislators tasked with debating the state budget how deep funding cuts would be.Lombardi was joined Tuesday by the higher education system presidents and the State Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen in testifying to the House Appropriations Committee, which is debating the state’s budget for the coming fiscal year. “Do we look for $100 million? Do we look for $200 million? Do we look for $300 million to be reduced in the state budget when the stimulus money goes away?” Lombardi said. Lombardi said it was crucial for universities to know how much is going to be cut before they begin axing programs.”If we take action and say we are going to be careful and hope for $300 million, and it turns out it’s only going to be $100 million, we will have destroyed programs which we can’t recover at the end of that year,” Lombardi said.To the disapproval of some legislators, Lombardi said it would take a minimum of one year to extract substantial funds by cutting academic programs and colleges. It takes time to gain money because most faculty require a year’s notice for non-renewal, and students must be phased out of degree paths when programs are cut, Lombardi said. “There is a reason why faculty require a year notice,” Clausen said. “Whether we like it or not, we will be in court if we violate that.”Appropriations Committee Chairman James Fannin said preparations for cuts must be made this year.”We want you to tell us that you are going to eliminate this, this and this and how we can get some [savings] this year,” Fannin said.Clausen said the Board of Regents — higher education’s governing board — has been looking at ways of increasing efficiency and cutting academic programs to reduce costs.But Rep. Eddie Lambert said cutting programs isn’t enough. Lambert said radical solutions like entire campus closures must be considered.”Why wouldn’t we better off having fewer Universities so we have less campuses to maintain?” Lambert said.Chancellor Michael Martin planned to propose $12 to $15 million in cuts to academic units and programs before the beginning of the legislative session this Monday. Martin said such proposals will likely be pushed back.While next year’s budget was the topic of debate Tuesday, this fiscal year’s budget could see yet another mid-year cut.Income tax figures from January and February suggest $400 million less in revenue than projected, said James Richardson, University economics professor and a member of the panel that forecasts state revenue.Richardson said the panel will have a better idea if another cut is necessary when March income tax figures are available in April.”I would think the chances of another state budget cut are fairly high unless there is a miracle in March,” Richardson said.Clausen told system presidents higher education should prepare to take another cut of $84.4 million this year as a result of this possible shortfall.Jason Droddy, assistant vice chancellor of Legislative and External Affairs, said if higher education sees such a large cut this year, and the cut is divided with the same proportions as the $12.6 million mid-year cut the University took in January, the Baton Rouge campus could have to further cut $11 million from its budget this year.–Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]