An official Murray State University petition made in response to planned higher education state funding cuts is gaining traction.
As of Thursday afternoon, more than 1,000 people have signed the change.org petition.
The MSU Student Government Association started the "Racers in Action" movement Feb. 3. President Clint Combs says under Governor Matt Bevin’s proposed budget, the university would face a nine percent state funding cut effective July 1st.
Before that, effective this fiscal year, MSU must also account for a mid-year 4.5 percent state appropriation cut.
“We’re not ignorant to the fact that there are great struggles with Kentucky’s pension crisis right now and other issues.," Combs said. "But we do hope that through this petition, through our work. that legislators and our governor will realize that it’s time for us to reinvest in higher education in Kentucky.”
Combs says under the proposed budget, Murray State would compete with other schools in a multi-year shift toward a performance-based state funding model. By fiscal year 2019, all of Kentucky’s higher education state funding would come from that competitive pool.
“This is something that really not only resonates with our students, but also our community members, our citizens of the Commonwealth," Combs said. "It’s troubling to see the direction that the state is going with higher education, and so that’s kind of what spurred all of this."
The movement's supporters include Murray State University President Bob Davies, who left an official comment on the petition.
"Education is an investment, not a cost to be cut!," Dr. Davies said.
The university has created an official web page that includes a link to the petition along with state legislator contact information.