BEND, Ore. (AP) — Supporters of the Oregon State University campus in Bend are asking lawmakers for $39 million in state bonds to keep the expansion on track.
Amy Tykeson of the group Now 4 OSU-Cascades said Friday that a successful four-year university is crucial to the Central Oregon economy.
But state Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, warned that a lot of groups are asking for money and there’s not a lot of it to give.
Backers of OSU-Cascades did not need the reminder. Before the 2017 session, Oregon lawmakers asked for $69 million for the expansion of OSU-Cascades. Gov. Kate Brown asked for $20 million in her budget proposal.
School officials expected the final figure to be somewhere in-between. Instead, the final budget allocated less than $10 million for OSU-Cascades.
The Bulletin newspaper reports that no vote was taken Friday. A work session for the bill will be held before the Legislature adjourns in about two weeks.