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Graham starts push to preserve Board of RegentsBy BARRY KLEIN © St. Petersburg Times, published February 1, 2001
The effort began Monday with a private meeting in Tampa, the first of five that Graham intends to hold around the state. The two-dozen invitees included university boosters, a former university system chancellor, a Graham fundraiser and several faculty leaders. "We are going to be his foot soldiers," said Joe Layon, chairman of the University of Florida's faculty senate. The price of such a war was a major focus of Monday's discussion. The supporters were told it could cost up to $5-million to obtain signatures for a voter initiative that would save and strengthen the regents. Sen. Bill Nelson, Graham's Democratic colleague, called that a "small price to pay to avoid the politicization of Florida's university system." Nelson, who announced his support for Graham's effort on Wednesday, said none of this would be necessary if Gov. Jeb Bush and state lawmakers weren't trying to meddle with Florida's education structure. "Once voters understand that this will be a university system that has lost its independence, that pits one university against the other, all under the political thumb of the governor, then I think people will get very upset," Nelson said. The push by Graham and his allies certainly rachets up the political stakes for both parties. It puts two of the state's most prominent Democrats in direct opposition to Bush, who strongly backs the changes that would eliminate the regents. It also makes it more likely that Democrats will have a high-profile issue to use against the Republican governor as he readies for a possible re-election campaign in 2002. Layon said politics was not an issue at Monday's meeting. He said most of the discussion focused on the state's higher education needs. Others in attendance included Dennis Ross, a Pinellas County businessman and Graham's former deputy chief of staff; Tampa lawyer and former House Speaker Terrell Sessums; Larry Bevis, president of the University of Florida's Alumni Association; and Robin Gibson, a Lake Wales lawyer and Graham fundraiser. Phil Handy, the chairman of a state task force that is recommending the regents be abolished as early as July 1, said Graham and his supporters are ignoring some basic facts. He noted that all of Florida's university presidents have endorsed the restructuring, as have the leaders of Florida's 28 community colleges. "They are the ones politicizing this, not us," he said. "We are implementing what the people of Florida said they wanted us to do." Handy is referring to the 1998 vote in favor of an amendment to the state Constitution that eliminated the elected education commissioner and authorized the governor to appoint a new state education board. Graham said the new board was supposed to focus entirely on Florida's K-12 system, and have nothing to do with higher education. He wants lawmakers to preserve the regents or to create a new statewide university governing board. That isn't likely to happen. Lawmakers are expected to approve a wide-ranging overhaul that would include the establishment of nine-member boards of trustees at each university. Those boards, whose members would be appointed by the governor, would assume much of the regents' authority. They would have the power to hire and fire university presidents. They could create new degree programs, set tuition rates and bargain collectively with employees. Graham said the changes would leave Florida's universities more open to legislative interference and promote conflict between schools forced to compete for limited resources. If the Legislature goes forward with the changes, Graham wants to put two voter initiatives on the 2002 ballot. One would make the regents a constitutional body, which would provide insulation from the Legislature. The other would force lawmakers to give the universities much broader discretion over spending. He said that would end the kind of pork barrel politics that led to the creation last year of two new law schools and a new medical college. All were approved over the objections of the regents, who said the schools were unnecessary. Recent coverageRegent wants Herbert's deputy to be chancellor (January 18, 2001) College system leader resigns (January 6, 2001) Chancellor won't stay, colleagues say (December 15, 2000) Panel scripting new rules for university governance (December 4, 2000) College presidents: If regents must go, don't delay (November 17, 2000) Regents to recommend their own replacement (September 16, 2000)
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From the Times state desk
From the state wire
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