No new cuts or policy changes for higher education were included in Gov. Jerry Brown’s revision of his budget proposal, released Monday.
In a press conference, Brown announced an unanticipated $6.6 billion in tax revenue but continued to stress the need for tax extensions.
The new revenue could cushion losses for the University of California over the summer when taxes expire in July, said Steve Boilard, higher education analyst for the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Advocates are pushing for a November initiative to renew the taxes and prevent an “all-cuts” budget. That budget would include another $500 million cut to the UC.
Despite the welcome news of tax revenue, Brown emphasized the state still has significant funding challenges. He referred to a “wall of debt,” blaming years of “gimmicks” for an outstanding debt of $37 billion.
The May revise proposal preserves the Cal Grant program along with the present funding level for the UC.
The proposal does eliminate a small office called the California Post-Secondary Education Commission, which has for 40 years quietly coordinated the UC, CSU and community college systems. The office reviews proposals and collects data to monitor performance.