Legislative Preview

As we enjoy Spring Break next week, the Florida Legislature will begin its 60 day session.  In preparation for the upcoming Session, I wanted to provide a quick update on our lobbying efforts.

Veterans Tuition

Both Speaker Weatherford and President Gatez have supported a large bill that would make Florida one of the friendliest states for veterans.  Included in this legislation is language that would grant in-state tuition to veterans at all public Florida institutions.  I thank Reps. Peters and Fitzenhagen as well as Sen. Latvala for their leadership on this important issue.  I also thank Speaker Weatherford and President Gatez for their support of our veterans that have chosen to live in Florida after their service to our country.

Newell Hall

Securing funding to transform Newell Hall into a student study center is one of, if not my biggest priority this session.  Inadequate study space on campus has been an issue for far too long, and repurposing Newell Hall is a fantastic solution to that problem.  I look forward to working with Chairman Negron in the Florida Senate and Chairman McKeel in the Florida House of Representatives to secure the funding we need to make this plan a reality.  

Renewing PECO Funding

A proud UF alumnus and Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam recently unveiled a plan to help Florida Businesses and Florida's Schools.  Historically, the construction of educational buildings and maintenance of school facilities was funded through Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO).  Over the past few years, the funding for PECO has nearly dried up and florida schools are left with infrastructure that is rapidly deteriorating.  Commissioner Putnam, along with the leadership of fellow Gator Sen. Flores and Rep. Hill, proposes cutting corporate energy taxes in half and redirecting the remaining revenue to the PECO program, which provides funding for Florida's university system as well as K-12 schools.  

This plan benefits UF students in two obvious ways: First, the State of Florida will now have a dedicated funding source for PECO and will be able to allocate money for new facilities and maintain existing infrastructure.  Second, the reduced tax burden on businesses will make Florida more competitive, attracting more businesses to Florida and creating more jobs for Floridians (including college graduates like us!).

Stay tuned to my blog and SG's social media for more information about how you can help lobby the Florida Legislature.

Go Gators!

Veterans Tuition Bill

A bill has been filed in the state legislature that will grant honorably discharged veterans in-state tuition.  When soldiers go overseas to ensure the freedoms and liberties Americans enjoy everyday they are not representing the one state that they are from, they are fighting for all fifty states that make up the United States of America.

The bill essentially waives the current one-year requirement for veterans to establish residency in the state before they may qualify for in-state tuition rates. As of now, twenty-six states currently waive the required waiting time to establish residency for veterans in order to obtain in-state tuition rates at public higher education institutions.

Last week in the Florida Senate, the bill sponsored by Sen. Latvala unanimously passed the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security. In this committee Senator Evers amended the bill to specify “honorably discharged” veterans. The bill will be heard next in the Committee on Education. An identical bill sponsored by Rep. Peters has been filed in the House of Representatives although it has not been referred to committee hearings yet. 

At the University of Florida, we have 37 non-resident active duty service members and 119 non-resident veterans. This totals 156 University of Florida students to which this bill would apply. I urge all students to stand with me to support House Bill 35 and Senate Bill 84, which allow all veterans to be eligible for in-state tuition in the state of Florida.