G O V E R N M E N T A L R E L A T I O N S
May 22, 1996
It was dubbed the "education session" when it began on March 6 and when the 1996 Legislative Session finally concluded at 2:00 a.m. on May 4, the news for higher education was both good and bad. First the good: The Legislature increased the budget for the State University System by more than ten percent, including a seven percent tuition increase. This is the largest increase for the SUS since 1988. The system can now accept more students, fund the Challenge Grant Program adequately and provide modest pay increases to faculty and staff. Now the bad news: No substantive legislation relating to the SUS passed this year. Depending on your perspective, this may be viewed as good news too.
For some months prior to the session, University Presidents, BOR staff and Legislators worked to craft a bill that would give individual universities flexibility in purchasing, property acquisition, construction authority and other areas. But during the last hours of the session, this and other higher education issues became the causalities of politics as usual. We are already turning our attention to next year on this and several other issues.
As 1996 is an election year for all members of the Florida House and half of the Florida Senate, many state legislators will be campaigning in their districts this summer and fall. After the vote on November 5, these elected officials will choose a new House Speaker and Senate President. The new leadership and their respective Committee Chairs will determine whether another "education session" is on the horizon.
In this final addition of the Legisletter, I have summarized the legislation that passed and updated you on legislation of interest that did not pass. If you are looking for a bill that does not appear in this newsletter, please feel free to contact me at 644-4453 or e-mail at kdaly@govrel.fsu.edu.
Kathleen Daly