House approves 11 percent cut in state funds for Oregon University System - Bill Graves, the Oregonian

The Oregon University System will see an 11 percent cut in state support over the next two years after final passage of its budget bill in the Legislature today. The Oregon House voted 43-15 to approve a $709 million in state general fund and lottery money for the state's seven public universities for 2011-13. That marks the third biennial decrease in a row for the university system, bringing its state funding to a level lower in actual dollars than it received a decade ago. "We are crimping our economy by failing to carry the portion of the load that this Legislature had traditionally carried to fund our system of higher education," said Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene. "This is a travesty...We have got to stop this."