The Senate passed a newly revised state budget last Thursday afternoon after a robust discussion on the proposed cuts that are to be implemented over a three-year period to lessen the impact of the state’s revenue shortages and the ability to maintain essential operations. This will be the second scaled back budget passed this legislative session. The Senate has now fulfilled its Constitutional duty for this legislative session, and the House is expected to take up the budget early this week, paving the way for the legislature to adjourn “sine die” by Friday.
Among several of the changes in the revised budget includes a last-minute adoption of a proposal to further allow the UT Health Science Center to increase its research capacity by authorizing $14.5M in state bonds to acquire the Memphis Bioworks Vivarium.
While the proposal eliminates new spending formerly slated to benefit higher education and numerous other state interests, it still represents a relatively flat/no-growth budget scenario in terms of state funds for the University of Tennessee.
