Volume 19 | Number 6 | February 13, 2012 Senate Budget he focus this week, the sixth of the nine-week regular session, will be Proposal on the coming year’s budget, prison closings and privatization, and Congressional and legislative redistricting. The Florida Senate released a $70.8 billion bud- T get late Friday that would spend more money The state Senate released its 2012-2013 budget on Friday and it totals and spare more jobs than the plan that has already passed the House. The House passed $70.8 billion. The proposal now goes before the Senate budget committee their $69.2 billion spending plan last week. on Wednesday and should be ready for debate and amendments by the The Senate’s plan would eliminate about full chamber next week. The full House, meanwhile, passed its $69.2 billion 4,000 state jobs, some of which are vacant, spending plan late last week and will wait for the Senate’s version to be fi- a reduction of nearly 3.3 percent. The bud- nalized so conferencing can begin in a few weeks. For more on the budget, get is set to come up for a committee vote on Wednesday before heading to the floor please see the related story. next week. The biggest differences in the overall spend- Last week, lawmakers passed newly drawn district maps and Attorney Gen- ing between the House and the Senate bud- eral Pam Bondi filed the legislative redistricting proposals with the Florida gets occur within the Health Care and Trans- Supreme Court. Thus begins the justices’ review of the once-a-decade re- portation budgets. drawing of district boundaries for members of the state legislative. Both plans set aside a billion for K-12. But the Senate budget currently cuts the State With AG Bondi’s filing on Friday, the court now has 30 days to review the University System by 5.6% over last year’s spending and provides no Public Education maps and decide whether they meet legal and constitutional requirements. Capitol Outlay (PECO) dollars for building However, the Florida Democratic Party has already filed a lawsuit against construction on campus. The Senate is- these proposed boundaries, including those for members of Congress, even sues a $400 million non-recurring cut and though Gov. Rick Scott has not yet signed the Congressional map, which expects the institutions to use their carry- is required before it can be filed with the court. These actions may thereby forward funds to fill the deficit. For Florida State, this is a 13.9 percent base bud- cause the session to extend beyond its scheduled finish on March 9. get reduction, or $55.4 million in lost state revenue. The Senate also reduces Although the committee process for substantive legislation did slow down a the state contribution to the Retirement bit last week, many bills of interest to the State University System are sched- System Investment plan for the SUS by $5 uled to receive a committee hearing this week. Please see the Spotlight on million, which is a $565,000 deduction Bills section for a complete overview. for FSU. They rebalance contribution rates for the ORP by $46 million for the system, a The full Senate will again take up this week the contentious legislation per- $5.21 million cut for FSU. They set no base undergraduate tuition, taining to prison privatization and the closing of some state prisons. The bill but expect our BOT to approve a 15 percent was only temporarily passed last week when the measure hit a snag. differential tuition increase, and an 8% in- crease for graduate and professional, and Last week was certainly a busy and exciting one for Florida State University! out-of-state student tuition. These increas- On Monday, Vice President Joe Biden visited our campus to speak and take es, IF fully implemented, would only gener- questions from students and faculty about college affordability. The next day ate $154 million to offset the $400 million our long-anticipated and always popular FSU Day at the Capitol took place. budget decrease. One bright spot; the Sen- ate did include $3.3 million recurring for Both events were very well received (please see the related story). the Mag Lab at FSU. The House also in- cluded $3 million for the lab. You can catch legislative action live each day on The Florida Channel, lo- Finally, state employees receiving spouse cal cable channel 4. As always, if you have questions about issues or need and family health insurance benefits, could copies of bills and their analysis, please contact me at (850) 644-4453 or see premium hikes beginning in December [email protected]. of this year. Family coverage may increase to $236.34 per month, up from $180.00 and those participating in the spouse program could see an increase of $81.67 per month, up from $50.00 per month. Garnet and Gold Rocks the Capitol Last Tuesday, the Capitol rocked garnet 22nd floor of the Capitol Monday night. & Associates, Inc., Ericks Consultants, and gold at this year’s FSU Day at the legislators, staff, alumni and support- Inc., Florida Association of Broadcasters, Capitol. We want to thank all of the par- ers of FSU gathered and shared some FCCI Insurance Group, Mr. & Mrs. Michael ticipating departments that took time “seminole spirit” as the sun set over Doak Fields, Mr. John French, GMA, Inc., Mr & away from busy schedules to share in- Campbell Stadium in the background. Mrs. Cliff Hinkle, Mr. Charles O. Hinson, formation about their programs with the But these events would not have been Mr. John Hogan, Capital Health Plan, Mr. legislative community. possible without the support of our won- S. Curtis Kiser, Mabry & Associates, Mr. Special thanks also goes to Gene Deck- derful sponsors. They include: FSU Stu- Paul Mitchell, Larry J. Overton & Associ- erhoff who served as emcee for the noon- dent Government Association, Seminole ates, Inc., Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, time activities. The FSU Seminole Sound, Tribe of Florida, Classic Fare Catering by Bell & Dunbar, P.A., Mr. David Pingree, Mr. cheerleaders, and circus all entertained Aramark, Mr. Mitchell Rubin, Florida Beer the crowd in the Capitol courtyard, while Wholesalers Association, Tri-Eagle Sales, Jim Rathbun, Mr. Ron Richmond, P.A., several of our athletic coaches and team Sharkey’s Capitol Café, Coca Cola Bot- Mr. Gary Runyan, Ms. Nancy Black Stew- members mingled with our alumni and tling of Tallahassee, Mr. Guy & Mrs. Delo- art, P.A., TECO Energy, Inc., and the FSU friends in the Legislature. res Spearman, Mr. L. Carl Adams, Capital Alumni Association. Check out pictures Again this year, the festivities included City Consulting, LLC, Mr. Richard Coates, of this festive event on our website later a “Seminole Evening” reception on the Mr. Lawrence N. Curtin, David R. Custin this week at www.govrel.fsu.edu. LEGISLETTER FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Volume 19 | Number 1 | January 9, 2012 CS/CS/CS/SB 206 – Public purpose. The bill increases criminal pen- change makes the DROP deferral age MeetingsBILLS by THATSenator HAVE Joe PASSEDNe- alties OR by reclassifyingFAILED certain violations 5 years before normal retirement age gron (R – Palm City), requires involving sexual conduct with minors. The - age 55 for Special Risk Class mem- boards or commissions of state executive bill reported favorably by the Judiciary bers and age 60 for all other members, agencies or authorities and local agen- Committee and is now in the Health and which will line up the DROP deferral age cies or authorities to provide members Human Services Committee. A compa- with the normal retirement ages. of the public a reasonable opportunity rable bill in the Senate, SB 1816 by Sena- n A retiree of a state-administered retire- to be heard on items of significant inter- tor Lizbeth Benacquisto (R – Welling- ment system who is initially reemployed est at, or approximately before, meetings ton), is now in Budget Subcommittee on in a regularly established position on or where official action is taken, with certain Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations after July 1, 2010, may not be enrolled exceptions. It provides that it is presumed as a renewed member. that boards or commissions are in com- UPDATE ON BILLS n Loans and hardship withdrawals are pliance with this section if they adopt SJR 1508 – Board of Gover- prohibited in the State University Sys- and follow rules providing members of nors Membership, by Senator tem Optional Retirement Program. The the public to be heard. The bill provides Bill Montford (D – Tallahassee, bill also provides a definition of the term that a court shall assess attorney’s fees FSU Alum), proposes an amendment “benefit,” to clarify when distributions against an agency or authority in violation to Section 7, Article IX of the Florida Con- received by a member prohibit enroll- of the “right to speak” requirement. The stitution to change the designation of the ment as a renewed member in a state- bill allows courts to assess attorney’s fees board’s student member. The resolution administered retirement system. against an individual who has filed such an would require the Governor to appoint action in bad faith. The bill provides that n A retiree of a state-administered retire- the student body president of a state uni- an action by a board or commission is not ment system initially reemployed in a versity, rather than the president of the void if members of the public are not af- regularly established position on or af- Florida Student Association, as a member forded the right to speak on a proposition.