Last Wednesday as budget negotiations began in earnest, the Council of Chancellors convened in Sacramento and concluded the day with personal visits to key legislators from both houses. The visits were an opportunity for Chancellors to discuss the effects of budget cuts at their respective UC campuses and urge legislators to resist cutting UC’s budget any further.
The Budget Conference Committee is working line-by-line to reconcile differences between the Senate and Assembly proposals for the 2003-2004 State Budget. Late last week the committee dealt with a few of UC’s smaller issues while leaving major items — an additional $80.5 million cut to UC’s base budget; restoring up to $33 million in K-12 outreach funding; and a funding reduction that would delay the opening of UC Merced — unresolved for further discussion at the “Big 5” level (the Governor and the four legislative leaders from both houses/parties).
June 15 is the Constitutional deadline for passing a budget and the new fiscal year begins July 1.
Faculty Association efforts:
Charlie Nash (CUCFA Vice President for External Affairs) authorized me to engage our lobbyist, Jim Bruner, to help us in lobbying, but we still feel grassroots lobbying is important. We urge all the faculty organizations to contact their members and ask them to engage in this effort. If you need information about how to do so, please let me know. If you have already contacted your legislators, THANK YOU, and please do so again.