LegisLetter: April 08, 2019

Volume 26, Number 6

This is going to be the most uncharacteristic legislative update for the 2019 Session because it is short and sweet.

It was another full week at the Capitol, but nearly all of the activity was related to finalizing the House and Senate versions of the budget. Last week’s edition of the Legisletter provided details on the differences. Nothing substantially changed in terms of the financial differences. On the policy front, the Florida Senate has refused to consider a sweeping higher education policy bill in the budget process. This does not mean that the bill has died, but it will not be tied to the budget. Budget bills have the greatest likelihood of passage, so the fact that the Senate refused to accept HB 5501 into budget negotiations means state universities will have the ability to offer important changes.

A new bill did appear in the Florida House of Representatives this week. Sponsored by the State Affairs Committee, HB 7115 would exempt from public view all records and meetings by postsecondary education executive search committees. The bill does not have a Senate version at this time. However, the fact that the bill was introduced so late in the process certainly raises the possibility that the full legislature may consider this bill.

Starting today, Florida State University will be publishing ten days of important facts about the State University System and our university, specifically. We will hashtag all posts with #OurSuccessIsFloridaSuccess. For those who are social media savvy, feel free to amplify the message with likes and retweets. The next ten days are critical as legislative leaders decide how much money to allocate to different budget categories. We want to remind them of the importance of our role in the social and economic success of Florida.

President Thrasher wrote about this in a recently published opinion editorial. We have great message to share with our leaders on how investments in Florida State University yield and excellent return.

Remember, this evening is our legislative reception on the 22nd floor of the Florida Capitol. Tomorrow is our official FSU Day! We are hoping that we won’t get rained out for the afternoon rally, but come whatever weather may befall us, there will be plenty of garnet and gold inside all floors of the old Capitol. We hope to see you there.

Kathy Mears

TOMORROW IS FSU DAY AT THE CAPITOL

Our big day is almost here! After months of planning, FSU Day at the Capitol for 2019 takes place tomorrow and promises to be another great event. As in the past, FSU Day emphasizes the university's proud heritage and spotlights the extraordinary accomplishments of our students and faculty.

Please join us from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for informative displays on the plaza level and second and third floor rotundas. During the lunch hour, appearances by FSU celebrities and members of the Seminole legislative caucus, and performances by the pep band, and cheerleaders will begin at 11:30 in the capitol courtyard, with refreshments available for all to enjoy.

In addition, our seventh annual “Seminole Evening” reception will be held tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 on the 22nd floor of the capitol. Come by for this meet-and-greet with our legislators.

We look forward to seeing you this evening and tomorrow in your Garnet and Gold!