Baton Rouge, La - Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) Board Chairman Tim Hardy issued the following statement on behalf of the LCTCS Board of Supervisors in response to the passage of House Bill 1 of the Special Legislative Session:

 

"We applaud Governor Edwards and the Louisiana Legislature for reaching a compromise on the budget that places higher education funding as a priority, even in the face of a very difficult budget situation.  For the first time in many years, the budget provides stable funding to higher education while also fully funding TOPS. We appreciate the continuing support our lawmakers have shown to Louisiana's community and technical colleges.  

"Over the past decade, Louisiana's community and technical colleges have worked to expand workforce and educational access in spite of consistent budget cuts. Our colleges have done the hard work of eliminating programs, centralizing services, and even merging institutions. In these tough fiscal times, our colleges remain committed to serving students, employers, and communities."The Legislature's decision to maintain higher education's funding at last year's level will ensure more opportunities for the people of our state and provide a stronger workforce for our employers. This investment in the people of Louisiana will have a positive impact for many years to come."