Will the Legislature Cut Higher Education Next Week?

Covid has not been kind to Idaho colleges. Before Covid, Idaho Governor Brad Little ordered state universities to trim their budgets. The Legislature will determine how much of an economic impact Covid has had on state universities when the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee meets to discuss the funds for state universities, reports The Idaho Education News.

Boise State University has been a concern for most of the state's conservatives. In the past, the United States Attorney General criticized the lack of free speech for student conservatives. You can see his statements in the video below.

In 2019, 28 legislators wrote a letter to Boise State University President Doctor Marlene Trump asking her to eliminate diversity programs. You can read the entire story here, courtesy of the Idaho Statesman. The fallout from that letter resulted in a meeting between a few legislators and Boise State Students.

Boise State lost 15 million dollars last year due to the reduced football season and students' lack of campus. Boise State supporters say the university has done the best job with the resources it has been given. Almost 200 employees have been shown the door while nearly 300 positions have not been filled.

If you're new to Idaho, the state has four four-year universities. Those universities are the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and Boise State University. Idaho Education News does a great job of previewing the four big points of contention. You can read their article here.

The upcoming testimony will give the legislators a chance to answer the massive amount of criticisms from Idaho voters.