Students and legislators will discuss how statewide budget concerns will affect higher education at a public forum hosted by the Coalition of Labor Organizations at MSU.

Coalition chairman Wayne Cass said nine Lansing state representatives and senators were extended invitations to answer questions about how public universities will be affected by budget cuts.

The coalition created the forum in response to Gov. Granholm's recommendations to balance the $920 million deficit with a 6-percent cut to higher education for Michigan's 15 public universities.

"We feel that it is disproportional and that level of impact will severely hurt MSU," Cass said. "We would like to know how local representatives feel about those recommendations and also to let them know how we feel."

The forum will be held tonight 5-6:30 p.m. in room 147 in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building.