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Regents wind down their university reign
By BARRY KLEIN © St. Petersburg Times, published May 25, 2001 TAMPA -- After 36 years in charge of Florida's university system, after innumerable fights with lawmakers -- most of them losses -- and some memorable struggles with a maverick president, the state Board of Regents exited the public stage Thursday with barely a whimper.
By then, Gov. Jeb Bush will have announced his choices for a new seven-member state Board of Education, which will assume much of the regents' authority. The rest of their powers will be shifted to new university boards of trustees, whose members Bush also will appoint. Few of the regents bothered to complain about their fate during their final meeting, which lasted barely two hours instead of the usual two days. But there clearly are hard feelings, especially among the board's Democratic appointees. None is more frustrated than Regent Jon Moyle, an appointee of Gov. Lawton Chiles and one of the few members who publicly opposed the Republican-led reorganization. He said the board is being eliminated for doing its job -- making decisions based on what is best for the university system, rather than what is desired by powerful state lawmakers. "We made mistakes, but we didn't act out of personal or political agendas," Moyle said. "I fear that is about to change." No decision was more problematic for the regents than their refusal two years ago to endorse a new medical school for Florida State University, the alma mater of then-House Speaker John Thrasher. Along with Bush, Thrasher was one of the early architects of the plan that reorganized the regents out of existence. And he got the medical school approved anyway over the board's objections. It was clear Thursday that both actions still rankle. At one point, Regent Steven Uhlfelder asked board members to endorse the efforts of FSU administrators to get the new medical school accredited. It was the kind of request that typically passes with little comment or opposition. But not this time. Regent Phil Lewis, another Chiles' appointee, told Uhlfelder he thought such an endorsement amounted to an "apology" for the board's earlier opposition. So, apparently, did other regents. The vote ended in a tie. "Why don't we just leave this for the new board," said Regent Welcom Watson, a Democrat from Fort Lauderdale. Not all the regents were gloomy Thursday about the board's imminent demise. Education Commissioner Charlie Crist, a Republican, called the transition a "happy occasion." He said he was "particularly pleased" there would be more local control for the universities under boards of trustees. Regents Chairman Tom Petway, a Bush appointee and the governor's close friend, said he was "excited about the future." "I think our progress will grow," he said. "I think we will continue to be one of the better education delivery systems in the country." That isn't enough for U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, the Florida Democrat who is trying to establish a new higher education board similar to the regents but constitutionally protected from legislative machinations. Graham said he expects the regents' elimination to be challenged in court. But even if it isn't, or if the challenge fails, he is organizing a $5-million effort to obtain signatures for a voter initiative that would appear on the November 2002 ballot. What would happen if Graham's efforts succeed is unclear, especially since much of Florida's university system bureaucracy already has left Tallahassee for more secure jobs. The regents staff is down to 85 employees. That's from a total of 165 several months ago. "I wanted to thank all of my staff for their hard work," university system lobbyist Tom Healy told the regents. "Unfortunately, all of them are gone."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times state desk
From the state wire
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