Iowa Higher education could see budget cuts still this year - Vanessa Miller, the Gazette

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said he’s concerned for the regents and the public universities they oversee after hearing Gov. Terry Branstad recently announce plans to balance the budget without harming property tax credits, Medicaid and K-12 education. “He did not mention that higher education would be held harmless,” Quirmbach said. Quirmbach said Branstad has taken three-quarters of the budget “off the table.” “Higher education is a lot of what’s left,” he said. “You are going to hit higher education pretty hard.” Quirmbach said he’d support tapping state reserves to keep Iowa’s higher education institutions from taking a hit. http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/higher-education-could-see-budget-cuts-still-this-year-20170103