Familiar budget shortfall faces new Miss. leaders - Jeff Amy, Business Week

The legislative plan already floated seeks to hold funding levels for K-12 schools and community colleges, but cuts university funding by 1.93 percent. Reeves and Gunn, R-Clinton, echoed Bryant's preference to protect schools. "We've got to make sure we don't compromise the quality of education we've got," Gunn said. Barbour proposed cutting 25 percent of vacant positions in the current budget year, and 25 percent more in 2013. It's unclear whether Barbour will have much influence this year. His budget document rehashes proposals, such as school and university consolidation, that originally won little legislative support.