BATON ROUGE - Higher education leaders are pushing back at suggestions they are inflating the implications of budget cuts on their campuses.

Commissioner of Higher Education Joe Rallo told the House Appropriations Committee that public colleges face cuts of at least $70 million before the state budget year ends June 30.

And that's under the best-case scenario, if lawmakers gathered in a special legislative session agree to the tax hikes proposed by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

If taxes aren't increased, colleges financing could be slashed more than $200 million.

Rallo and higher education leaders said Wednesday if the worst-case scenario happens, many campuses likely will suspend operations and cancel classes.

He outlined to lawmakers what he considers several "myths" that he said wrongfully suggest the reductions won't really be that harmful.