Budget passes, but final decisions are Davis’s

04 September 2002 | On Saturday, Aug. 31, a 60-day stalemate in Sacramento over the state’s budget ended, just hours before the deadline of the legislative session. While a budget was passed, the final impact on the University of California remains unknown.

The Legislature passed a $99-billion budget that includes a total of about $9 billion in spending cuts and about $2.4 billion in revenue increases to help balance the state’s $24-billion deficit. The legislation directs Governor Gray Davis to cut about $750 million from government operations (which includes UC).

The unresolved question for UC is where Davis will identify the $750 million in spending decreases. Given the size of the mandated cut, it is possible that additional reductions will come from higher education. However, throughout the budget process, UC has fared relatively well given the unprecedented size of the state’s deficit, and the governor has remained committed to education.

What is known are the budget actions already approved by the Legislature:

• 10 percent across-the-board research cut
• 1.5 percent salary increases for faculty and staff
• 6 percent additional in-crease in nonresident tuition for undergraduates
• no fee increase for students who are California residents
• support for outreach programs, including $3 million for School/University Partnerships and $5.2 million for Graduate and Professional School Out-reach

The campus’s Government Affairs staff will provide more information on budget developments as it becomes available.

Contact Laura Capps, Director of Government Affairs, at lkc@pa.urel.berkeley.edu.