Legislative Update

January 12, 2018

FLORIDA SENATE PASSES HIGHER EDUCATION ACT AND EXPANDS BRIGHT FUTURES

By a unanimous vote, the Senate passed SB 4 on January 11. The substance of the bill is explained in the Senate Appropriations staff analysis below. UFF concerns are over the university block tuition plans to be adopted by boards of trustees. Note: This is not the college legislation where UFF has significant concerns. More on that in the next report.

FROM SENATE ANALYSIS OF SB 4

CS/SB 4 establishes the "Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act of 2018" to expand financial aid provisions and incentivize postsecondary institutions to emphasize on-time graduation. The bill also expands policy and funding options for state universities to recruit and retain exemplary faculty and enhance the quality of professional and graduate schools. Specifically, the bill:

• Increases student financial aid and tuition assistance programs in the following ways:
  • Expands the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program Academic Scholars (FAS) award to cover 100 percent of tuition and specified fees plus $300 per semester for textbooks, and authorizes use of the award for summer term enrollment as funded by the Legislature.
  • Expands the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program Medallion Scholars (FMS) award to an amount equal to 75 percent of tuition and specified fees to pay for educational expenses, and authorizes use of the award for summer term enrollment, beginning in 2019, as funded by the Legislature.
  • Extends the Benacquisto Scholarship Program to eligible students from out of state.
  • Revises the state-to-private match requirements for contributions to the First Generation Matching Grant Program from 1:1 to 2:1.
  • Establishes the Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program for farmworkers and the children of farmworkers.
  • Requires each state university board of trustees to adopt, for implementation in the fall 2018 semester, a block tuition policy for full-time, first-time-in-college students.
• Modifies state university performance accountability metrics to promote on-time student graduation in 4 years.
• Establishes the World Class Faculty and Scholar Program to fund and support the efforts of state universities to recruit and retain exemplary faculty and research scholars.
• Establishes the State University Professional and Graduate Degree Excellence Program to enhance the quality of professional and graduate schools and degree programs in medicine, law, and business.
• Requires state universities to use data-driven gap analyses to identify internship opportunities in high-demand fields for students.
• Strengthens accountability of state university direct-support organizations.

The bill appropriates $129.3 million in recurring funds from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) and $1.7 million in recurring funds from the General Revenue Fund for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. From the appropriated EETF funds, $98.7 million is for Bright Futures awards, $27.6 million is for 2019 FMS summer term awards, and $3 million is for 2019 FAS summer term awards. From the appropriated General Revenue funds, $1.2 million is for the expansion of the Benacquisto Scholarship Program to students from out of state, and $500,000 is for the Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship Program.

The fiscal impacts relating to the World Class Faculty and Scholar and State University Professional and Graduate Degree Excellence programs are contingent upon appropriations provided by the Legislature.

The bill takes effect upon becoming a law.

REPORT FROM WEEK 1

Thanks to Stephanie Kunkel, FEA Public Policy Advocacy for this report.

Let the games begin… and may the odds be ever in your favor. On Tuesday the legislature was gaveled in for the 120th legislative session, but was once again rocked with a sex scandal when the worst kept secret in Tallahassee was finally made public - two high ranking senators were publicly revealed to be having a longtime affair.

The wise Gideon Tucker said, "No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the Legislature is in session." Nothing has changed since those words were uttered in 1866. And it's only Day 4. In past years, sessions falling in an election year have been quiet, with little noise and even less substantive policy passed. We can't take that for granted this session, however. Not with a senate in chaos, and an autocratic speaker overseeing the House. Not with a union decertification bill poised for passage in the House at any time, and a bill that would create a new voucher for victims of bullies to send them to private schools with little oversight or protections against further bullying and harassment.

And we are especially not safe when Speaker Corcoran pontificates from the podium about his just and noble causes against the union and against status quo, while he stares in the face of legislators who are there to line their pockets with corporate donations, doing everything they can to help the few and break down the many.

Corcoran laid out his "transformational policy" agenda for 2018 reciting the final scenes of Schindler's List - where Schindler is upset because he could have done more to save more lives. So, what is this transformational policy you ask? Ensuring all children have access to health care or all Floridians who want to work receive a living wage? Protecting worker's rights or doing more to stop the blatant sexual harassment that runs rampant in our state capital, including the Florida House of Representatives?

Nope. This "transformational policy" agenda is all about the Benjamins. Corcoran laid out his three-issue vision. First, the House will never raise taxes on individuals or businesses (this is especially telling for our work on the education budget and how we pay for education in the future, as the senate and governor propose tying education funding to the revenues that come from rising property values). Second, they will "never surrender a single penny of our state's fiscal reserves" (this as our state was reeling from one of the worst hurricanes in recent history and many places are still rebuilding, which is exactly why "rainy day funds" and reserves were created).

Finally, according to Corcoran, the House will "continue to fight… and fight… and fight to ensure that every single child in this state - regardless of gender, race, religion or income - has access to a world class education." Yay! Hooray! Finally, Corcoran and FEA are on the same page. Oh wait… that was short lived. Corcoran focused solely on his favorite bully voucher bill - giving a voucher to send one child to private school rather than passing policies to prevent bullying, violence and harassment in all schools, for all children.

Transformative, Mr. Speaker? We think you can do more. And we think it's high time you start looking at all of Florida's school children who truly need transformational policy changes, not just policies designed to funnel tax dollars to corporately managed charters and private schools.

Corcoran closed his tirade by saying "when the naysayers say you can't do that, you can't withstand the storm, say 'this is the House of Representatives… we are the storm'." *gag* Make no mistake, a storm is coming. It's a storm of parents, educators and public service workers. We must not remain silent as the leaders of the house and senate sell off our kids to for-profit educators under the guise of protecting the bullied. And we won't sit idly by while the House goes to war on our proud union workers. So, get out your umbrellas and galoshes. It's time to roll up our sleeves, stomp through the puddles and head into the capital to make our voices heard. Are you with us?

Bills, Bills, Bills

The deadline for filing member bills passed on Tuesday. While it may seem like a million bills, at last count the total number of bills and Proposed Committee Bills (PCBs) is 3,084. FEA PPA staff are actively monitoring over 200 bills. Legislation includes issues relating to school safety, school funding, instructional personnel and education staff professionals, school transportation, charter schools, alternative education, vouchers, DROP and retirement, graduation requirements, union busting and others. While that may seem like a lot, we are also keeping a close eye for any PCBs that committees can and will file at a moment's notice. Remember HB 7069? The nexus of that legislation started as a PCB. We'll keep you posted on major bills that need your quick attention in the weekly Frontline, as well as send action alerts and text messages.

Election Year Campaign Promises?

On Tuesday the Governor gave his last State of the State address (finally, it's been a LONG 8 years). He, in typical Scott fashion, lackluster and with little fanfare, droned on about his terrific past and his plans for the future. Even he knows he's not a great orator. A favorite moment in this address was when he said, "I know how disappointed you all must be that you won't get to hear me give another great speech like this, try to hold back the tears." Included in that pat-myself-on-the-back moment was his super stellar commitment to public education *gag*. He conveniently glossed over the drastic cuts to public education by more than a billion dollars that were signed into law by the stroke of his pen when first taking office. His big speech called for record funding for education, and laid out his proposal of a constitutional amendment to increase the vote requirements by the legislature for any future tax increases to a 2/3 vote.

His campaign promises are nothing new. Remember when he was for Medicaid expansion in the previous election cycle, and then shortly after his re-elect was against it? Or how about his new-found love of the environment during the previous election after cutting nearly 600 positions at the agency tasked with protecting it, or how about he now suddenly cares about off-shore oil drilling when he's been all for it in the past. But I digress…

We must ask, is Rick Scott now willing to fight for the education increases he calls for? Is he willing to put the power of his office to work to achieve the current 50+1 vote burden to get new education increases and is he willing to fight even harder if his proposal is passed? Or is this just empty rhetoric to campaign on as we've seen in the past? He will be judged on his actions over the next 56 days of session and beyond as he evaluates legislation arriving on his desk. I hope you will help us hold him accountable to ensure his talk isn't just empty fodder to run in campaign commercials.