Students from Portland State University all the way down to Southern Oregon University gathered in Salem on Wednesday and Thursday.
Adorned with stickers that read “Reinvest in Universities” on their chests and their opinions on their sleeves, the students expressed opposition to proposed budget cuts that would raise tuition 18 percent and slash capital construction by 80 percent at Oregon universities during the next two years.
Eight students Wednesday and six students Thursday gave testimony in front of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education, while 80 other students filled the hearing room and two overflow rooms at the Oregon State Capitol building.
University of Oregon student Madeline Wigen testified Wednesday.
“This was really the time to make student voices heard,” she said. “Education is the greatest equalizer and now is the time for Oregon to reinvest in higher education.”
The group submitted 60 pieces of written testimony from students on why they object to the proposed budget for higher education.
“At one point you could see Rep. Galizio flip through the 60 pages and mouth the words ‘Wow,’” said Melissa Unger, executive director of the Oregon Student Association.
Galizio, chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education, also heard from an assortment of Oregon university faculty and Oregon business members yesterday who opposed the proposed budget as well.
The legislature stayed 15 minutes later than the usual 4:30 p.m. ending time so speakers would be able to finish their testimony in front of the Oregon representatives.
Students also complied and distributed a 154-page packet of editorials and news clippings concerning the proposed budget.
A new budget work session will commence after the May 15 forecast. Legislature will use the governor’s budget, the co-chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee’s budget and the testimony given by students as a guideline for the new budget proposal.
Legislation ends on June 29 and the higher education budget is suspected to come out shortly before that, sometime in mid-June.
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