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In This Issue...
1. NEW LEGISLATURE + NEW BOLD VISION = NEW RESULTS?
2. COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS (COP) - 2019 LEGISLATIVE BUDGET REQUEST
3. WEEKLY ROUNDUP: AND THEY'RE OFF
4. BILL SUMMARY UPDATE
NEW LEGISLATURE + NEW BOLD VISION = NEW RESULTS?
On November 20, 2018 Senate President Bill Galvano and House Speaker José Oliva spelled out their goals for the 2019 legislative session. They both promised very similar pathways - keeping taxes low and promoting economic development. Florida is among the lowest taxing states in the country, and economic development directly links to our 28 colleges!
Sixty-six new legislators were elected and sworn into the 2019 legislature. That includes 46 in the House and 20 in the Senate, plus we have a new Governor and a new Cabinet. This is the second highest number of new House reps since voters sent 63 to Tallahassee in 2000. Among them, 24 are Republicans and 22 are Democrats. Among the Senate’s 20 freshmen, the most new senators in state history, there are 11 Democrats and nine Republicans.
Republicans will hold a 73-47 majority in the House, down from their 76-41 advantage in 2018, while the GOP will have a 23-17 majority in Senate, little change from their 23-16 advantage in 2018.
This newness may bode well for the Florida College System. The Governor’s proposed $91.3 billion “Bold Vision for a Brighter Future” state budget, which is generally viewed as just a starting point, is the highest ever proposed, and includes more than $1.2 billion (not including tuition) for the 28 colleges. The budget doubles college and state investment in performance funding from $60 million to $120 million. He also sets aside another $14 million for industry certification programs at Florida colleges, a $4 million increase, which is what is being requested by the AFC.
With so many new Legislative members in the Capitol our mission to educate and inform has never been more vital. We welcome you to track our progress weekly in Capitol Perceptions. Feel free to share it with a college friend who is not an AFC member. The online AFC Advocacy Toolkit is filling up with valuable and informative resources for you including a link to each week’s most recent 2019 AFC/FCS Bill Tracking Matrix.
COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS (COP) - 2019 LEGISLATIVE BUDGET REQUEST (Click image to download PDF)
WEEKLY ROUNDUP: AND THEY’RE OFF
(Excerpts from March 8, 2019 - for the complete News Service of Florida‘s recap and analysis of the week in state government go to: https://newsserviceflorida.com/app/post.cfm?postID=32070 – subscription required)
TALLAHASSEE --- The days run away like wild horses over the hills.
Perhaps it’s more than a tad misogynistic to invoke poet Charles Bukowski on International Women’s Day to capture the essence of this week’s kickoff of the 2019 legislative session. But for many Capitol insiders, by Friday morning, the flowers and pageantry of Tuesday’s opening-day ceremonies already were forgotten and the 60-day countdown to the session’s conclusion had commenced.
Apart from the pomp and circumstance, opening day also set the stage for Gov. Ron DeSantis to make his debut State of the State speech to the House and Senate, as well as to the citizens of Florida. Legislative leaders largely congratulated the governor on his premiere legislative oratory, in which he repeatedly used the word “bold” to describe his agenda and to urge lawmakers to follow his lead. But DeSantis drew some pushback from Senate President Bill Galvano, who repeated what he’s said before: Don’t expect the Senate to be a “rubber stamp” for the governor.
BE BOLD
DeSantis focused heavily on now-familiar priorities such as the environment and education during Tuesday’s time at the podium. The governor touted issues that he has discussed during appearances across the state since taking office Jan. 8. They included efforts to improve water quality, expand school choice and prevent so-called sanctuary cities. “Let’s fight the good fight, let’s finish the race, let’s keep the faith so that when Floridians look back on the fruits of this session, they will see it as one of our state’s finest hours,” he said in the address, the traditional start to the legislative session.
PUT IT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT
The Senate might not give DeSantis an automatic seal of approval on every issue, but the upper chamber bowed to the governor two days after the session began, overwhelmingly approving a measure that would allow patients to smoke medical marijuana if doctors deem it the proper treatment. The House is expected to take up the bill (SB 182) on Wednesday.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF RELIEF
Northwest Florida lawmakers Thursday promoted a $315 million proposal that would make loans available to local governments still reeling from Hurricane Michael and would set up a task force to determine additional state assistance for the storm-battered region. The wide-ranging Senate bill (SB 1610) came after numerous other proposals have been filed in the House and Senate to provide relief following the deadly Oct. 10 storm that left a path of devastation after making landfall in Mexico Beach and roaring north into Georgia. Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who represents some of the hardest-hit areas, said the intent is to make sure the region is “not forgotten.” So far, about $1.2 billion has been spent by the state to help with cleanup efforts, and local communities have burned through their budgets. “The people of North Florida are self-sufficient, they’re independent, but there comes a time when government, rightfully so, should step in and help those who work hard,” Montford said.
BILL SUMMARY/UPDATE
(For a complete summary spreadsheet of all bills being tracked download each week’s 2019 AFC/FCS Bill Tracking Matrix.)
HB 789 - Florida College System Institutions Offering Baccalaureate Degree Programs (Compare to SB 798 Baccalaureate Degree Access - Mayfield below)
Plasencia
Authorizes certain Florida College System institutions to participate in intercollegiate athletics at 2-year & 4-year levels. Effective Date: July 1, 2019
2/13/2019 HOUSE Filed
2/20/2019 HOUSE Referred to Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee; Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee; Education Committee
2/20/2019 HOUSE Now in Higher Education & Career Readiness Subcommittee
SB 798 - Baccalaureate Degree Access (Compare to HB 789 Florida College System Institutions Offering Baccalaureate Degree Programs - Plasencia above)
Mayfield
Deleting a prohibition against certain Florida College System institutions participating in intercollegiate athletics beyond the 2-year level; authorizing Florida College System institutions to participate in intercollegiate athletics at the 4-year level, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2019
2/6/2019 SENATE Filed
2/15/2019 SENATE Referred to Education; Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; Appropriations
HB 1197 - Charter Schools ( Similar to SB 1668 School Choice - Hutson below)
Fischer
Authorizes state universities & Florida College System institutions to sponsor charter schools; revises reporting & accountability requirements; provides for funding; authorizes career & professional academy to be offered by charter school. Effective Date: July 1, 2019
3/1/2019 HOUSE Filed (No Current Committee)
SB 1668 – School Choice (Similar to HB 1197 Charter Schools - Fischer above)
Hutson
Revising the purposes that charter schools are authorized to fulfill; authorizing Florida College System institutions to sponsor charter schools within their respective service areas for a certain purpose and to offer postsecondary programs leading to industry certifications to eligible students; providing that the standard charter renewal contract be developed by consulting and negotiating with sponsors and charter schools, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2019
3/1/2019 SENATE Filed (No Current Committee)
HB 189 - Postsecondary Education for Secondary Students (Identical to SB 1342 Postsecondary Education for Secondary Students – Stargel below)
Zika
Requires instructional materials be made available to certain dual enrollment students free of charge; provides additional options for students participating in early college program; revises program, contract, notification, & reporting requirements; authorizes charter schools to establish early college programs; provides that certain students & schools are not responsible for specified costs; provides FTE bonuses under certain circumstances. Effective Date: July 1, 2019
1/9/2019 HOUSE Filed
1/16/2019 HOUSE Referred to PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee; Appropriations Committee; Education Committee
1/16/2019 HOUSE Now in PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee
SB 1342 - Postsecondary Education for Secondary Students (Identical to HB 189 Postsecondary Education for Secondary Students – Zika above)
Stargel
Requiring, rather than authorizing, instructional materials to be made available to certain dual enrollment students free of charge; providing additional options for students participating in an early college program; authorizing certain private school and home education students to enroll in an early college program; authorizing a charter school to establish an early college program, etc. Effective Date: 7/1/2019
2/22/2019 SENATE Filed (No Current Committee)
Capitol Perceptions is compiled weekly during the Florida Legislative Session and distributed to AFC members.
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