Representative Jim Davis held a press conference on the capitol steps outlining the details of his flexibility bill (see related story). President D'Alemberte, along with the other nine University Presidents, the Regents and the Chancellor all stood behind the Representative in show of support for the legislation.
Both the House and the Senate budget committees heard testimony last week relating to the education budgets. Representative Keith Arnold, called on FSU last Friday to detail our budget priorities during the Appropriation's Education Subcommittee meeting. Budget workshops will continue through the rest of this week in the House and Senate.
Earlier in the week, in what was probably one of the most suspenseful moments on the Senate floor in many years, Senators debated overriding the Governor's veto of last year's repeal of his third party liability bill. This is the bill that would allow the state to sue tobacco companies for money the state spends on Medicaid patients with smoking- related illnesses. The Governor needed 14 votes out of 40 to sustain his veto repeal. The Senators spent hours debating the issue and, in the end, no vote was taken, postponing the drama for another day.
Please feel free to contact me with any concerns, questions or copies of bills and their analysis, at 644-4453 or by e- mail, kdaly@govrel.fsu.edu. -- Kathleen Daly