Budgets, presidential politics and garnet and gold were the big headliners during the second week of the 2000 legislative session. Adhering to their pre-printed schedules, legislators wasted no time in moving their various spending plans out of subcommittees.  Attention will turn this week to the full fiscal committees, where the budget deliberations will continue (see related story). Among the major issues that continue to dominate the discussions around the Capitol is the NAACP's challenge in court of the One Florida rule. This is the executive order that would, among other things, eliminate the race of the applicants as a factor in their being considered for admission to state universities. Hearing dates have been scheduled for mid-April, with a decision expected in mid-May.  Tallahassee made national news last Tuesday, which was presidential primary election day in Florida, because of a visit by Vice President Al Gore to Leon High School.   Garnet and Gold were the colors of the day last Wednesday during the annual FSU Day at the Capitol. Coach Bobby Bowden - along with several football players, including quarterback Chris Weinke - joined President D'Alemberte, the Chiefly Brass Pep Band, the FSU Cheerleaders and other special guests to bring Florida State University to the legislators. With FSU so distinctly in the spotlight, it was a particularly proud day to be a Seminole. 

On a sad note, 25-year veteran house member, Representative Ed Healey (Democrat, West Palm Beach) passed away last Wednesday.  Although Rep. Healey was not an FSU alumnus, he was a big supporter and friend. We will miss his wisdom and his kindness. The House of Representatives suspended all meetings today in honor of Representative Healey. 

The session is moving along this year at an unusually rapid pace. Please feel free to call me if you need information about a specific bill and its analysis or any other legislative issue that may concern you. I can be reached at  644-4453 or by e-mail kdaly@govrel.fsu.edu.

 

The Education Budget Subcommittees in the House and Senate passed their budgets last week. This week, the budgets will move to the full fiscal committees. At this early point, it looks like the House has more money in its budget for the SUS, but the House has more SUS reductions than the Senate.  Below is a brief comparison of the two budgets:

 

* Tuition  -- The House and Senate each recommend a 5-percent tuition differential, raising about $18 million. Additionally, the Senate recommends another 5-percent across the board increase. The SUS recommended a 10-percent across the board increase, plus a 5-percent differential.

 

* Matching Gifts -- The Senate recommends $27.3 million in new money, plus proviso allowing the universities to use carry forward funds for additional matching money; the House has $44.2 million in new money.  The SUS recommended $45 million in new dollars.

 

* Enrollment --  The Senate recommends $19.2 million but provides no general revenue for "over" enrollment.  The House funds the SUS requested FTEs at a reduced rate of $53.8 million.  The SUS recommended funding for 5,026 FTEs for $60 million.

 

*  Reductions --  The House recommends a $19.8 million reduction in carry forward funds. The cuts would be allocated by each university. FSU's base will be reduced by $1.5 million.  The Senate recommends a $3 million base cut to university-run museums with proviso making them self supportive within three years. The SUS made no such recommendations.

 

* Graduate Fee Waivers --  The House appropriates $12.5 million, the Senate, zero.   The SUS recommended 17.5 million.

 

Finally, the House includes $8 million in recurring funds for Basic Sciences at FSU, $12.2 milllion in non-recurring funds for Basic Sciences, and $9.5 million in recurring funds for a medical school. In addition, the House includes $1 million in non-recurring funds for a School of Chiropractic Medicine at FSU.  The Senate includes $500,000 for a School of Chiropractic Medicine and $5-million for two new law schools at FIU and FAMU.

 HB 1567, Rulemaking Authority within the State University System, sponsored by the House Committee on Colleges & Universities and Representative Bob Casey (R-Gainesville) passed out of that House committee last week. The bill allows the Board of Regents and the State University System to adopt rules impacting a variety of areas including fees, admissions, enrollment, student government, data and technology, patents, copyrights and trademarks, among other issues. A similar bill, SB 2062 by Senator Jim Horne (R-Orange Park),  will be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Monday, March 20.

SB 2092, Relating to Trust Fund for Major Gifts, by Senator Donald Sullivan (R-St Petersburg), was introduced and referred to the Education and Fiscal Policy Committees last week.   This bill sets limits on how many funds can be used to match a gift, allowing for a maximum of $13 million in a single year and $15 million total. It also lowers the level of match.  For example, on gifts of $1 million to $2,999,999, the match is adjusted  from 75 percent to 60 percent of the gift amount. On gifts over $3 million, the match would be reduced from 100 percent to 80 percent.  The bill would take away the ability of the Board of Regents to allow universities to encumber matching gift monies from funds available under s.240.272., F.S.

CS/HB 5 Relating to Alcoholic Beverages

CS/HB 5, Relating to Alcoholic Beverages sponsored by Representative Sally Heyman (D-North Miami Beach) passed out of the House last week and has been received by the Senate. The bill changes the Beverage Law to allow students age 18 and up to taste alcoholic beverages as part of a “required curriculum” but specified it was not to be “for the purposes of consumption.” There is a similar bill already in the Senate, CS/SB 234 by Senator Ron Silver (D-North Miami), which has been placed on the Special Order Calendar for March 21.