Tagged: budget cuts

Gov. Bobby Jindal says he sees no need for a special legislative session to discuss recent budget cuts made by his administration.

Thibodaux Rep. Jerome "Dee" Richard, an independent, sent a letter Wednesday to House members asking them to call themselves into a special session to revisit the budget reductions.

Richard says lawmakers have been improperly left out of Jindal administration financial decisions that are shuttering health care facilities and a state prison.

The retiring president of the University of Louisiana System says higher education's ongoing budget woes will make it harder to attract his replacement and were one of the reasons he decided to leave the job.

Randy Moffett's last day was Friday after four decades in higher education. He says the cuts complicated efforts of the state's largest university system to maintain a focus on increased performance.

Despite the problematic financial picture, Moffett says he's optimistic the UL System will attract a quality leader looking for a challenge.

The budget has gotten so tight at LSU-Shreveport that three retired professors have offered to teach without pay so the university could save money.

The Shreveport Times reports that the LSU System approved about $1.9 million in cuts to LSUS this past Friday.

Since 2008, state funding has been cut more than 45 percent at LSUS, causing the university to reduce its staff by about 20 percent.