BY ELIZABETH CRISP| ECRISP@THEADVOCATE.COM
APRIL 15, 2015; 1:52 P.M.
Louisiana college students shouted Wednesday from the State Capitol steps and took turns pleading with members of a key legislative budget panel to avoid potentially catastrophic cuts to higher education funding in the coming year.
“We’re sending a message today that we’re taking notice of this,” said Jesse Elliott, Student Government president at LSU-Alexandria.
About 150 students took part in the rally against cuts to higher education funding on the third day of the state Legislature’s 2015 session.
Lawmakers are working to craft a spending plan for the budget that begins July 1. But with Louisiana facing an estimated $1.6 billion shortfall, spending for colleges and universities could end up on the chopping block.