Proposal cuts UNC spending

The latest proposal of the long-awaited House budget would eliminate spending for long-distance students and programs in the UNC system.

The budget subcommittees called for a 2 percent spending cut at UNC system schools — twice most of the reductions proposed by the Senate.

The House budget is still being finalized, while the Senate’s was completed May 5, but recent House finance committee amendments to the Senate budget mean it must be voted on again.

The House budget draft proposed a $12.7 million reduction for university enrollment growth this fall. Distance education programs could be severely hurt by the measure.

“We believe distance education is as equally important as the in-classroom education,” said Mark Fleming, vice president for government relations with the UNC system.

Fleming said that in the past, a difference between funding for students on the campus and distance students was not distinguished.

The Senate budget makes no distinction between which aspects of the campus should receive more funding.

“We prefer the way the Senate has it,” said Kevin FitzGerald, chief lobbyist for UNC-CH. “The money is all pooled together, and we handle it with flexibility.”

But funding shortfalls affected the House’s ability to meet all 16 universities’ needs.

“We didn’t have enough funding for everything, and we thought it was important to take care of those who were in school,” said Rep. James Crawford, Jr., D-Granville, co-chairman of the appropriations committee. “We tried to divide the loaves and the fishes the best we knew how.”

Overall education spending for the House was $57.4 million less than the proposed $9.5 billion in the Senate.

UNC-system officials also are worried the cut wouldn’t properly fund enrollment growth.

“For the first time, this budget does not fully fund our enrollment request,” Fleming said. “Enrollment is our highest priority for the UNC system.”

Officials also said the cuts could affect students and services provided by the universities.

“It would have a negative impact on our students and the quality of education they deserve if it isn’t rectified later in the budget process,” said Joni Worthington, spokeswoman for the UNC system.

The House budget also proposed a 2.5 percent increase in teacher salaries, while the Senate budget called to increase them by 2 percent.

Both the Senate and House budgets likely will increase the prices smokers pay.

The House budget called for a 25-cent tax increase for cigarette packs, to be added to the current 5 cents.

The Senate budget originally proposed a 35-cent increase, but a House finance committee amended it to 25 cents on Tuesday.

Legislators said the final proposed number was a compromise among House members.

“This was a way to bring everybody together,” said finance committee co-chairman Rep. Daniel McComas, R-New Hanover. “Not everybody gets what they want, but everybody gets something.”

The House and Senate budgets also maintain the one-half cent sales tax, meaning those in North Carolina would continue to pay a 7 percent sales tax.

North Carolina’s economic woes have pushed General Assembly members to make cuts and maintain and increase taxes.

Fleming said the difficulty of planning a budget called for some of the more drastic changes.

“They’ve got a tough budget situation,” he said. “They’re trying to make all the numbers balance out.”

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.