Once again, Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson has shown why he’s one of the most effective legislators in recent Florida history.Following negotiations led by Lawson, the Florida Legislature’s budget conference committee agreed to allocate $6M for a FAMU “outreach” project.
Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander was mum about the specific purpose for the line item. When questioned by a Jacksonville Times-Union reporter, he simply answered: “some outreach missions that we thought were close to FAMU's sort of niche in the world.”
According to the Fort Myers News Press: “At an early morning conference meeting, before the deal was announced, a smiling FAMU President James Ammons worked the room and huddled with conferees.”
Newspapers speculate that the $6M deal came after Lawson and other members of the Florida State Conference of Black Legislators agreed to go along with a GOP redistricting plan. Lawson said the Republicans have agreed to changes that will protect minority districts.
The $6M FAMU outreach project matches the same amount of money allocated to create a new pharmacy program at the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland (one of Alexander’s top priorities).
Lawson told the Tallahassee Democrat that "some of the money likely would help FAMU assume command of a dental clinic in Jacksonville that the University of Florida no longer wants to administer. Some of it would also likely go to the FAMU pharmacy school."
This year, FAMU requested $1.5M to help it plan a new College of Dental Medicine. Pharmacy Professor Donald E. Palm is leading the on-campus planning committee.
Rattler Country has a big reason to SMILE!
This is nice. Hubba Sen. Lawson.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is one reason why Big Al Lawson may be a great AD for FAMU. The man gets results and his love and dedication for FAMU is unquestionable.
ReplyDeleteThank you Senator Lawson!!!!
Hubba Al!!!!
ReplyDeleteHe should become FAMU's University Lobbyist! An AD needs to be qualified in that area. He is and would be the greatest plus to the university as its Lobbyist.
ReplyDeleteYou're all wrong. This is why we need Al Lawson in Congress. Donate to his campaign TODAY. Thats what he wants, and after all he has given us, thats what we shpuld give him
ReplyDeleteSend Big Al to Congress! FAMU and the nation would be benefit!
ReplyDeleteDitto!
ReplyDeleteLOL i guess 10:15pm u are 100% correct....
ReplyDelete9:26,
ReplyDeleteState law prohibits former legislators from lobbying for two years.
9:26,
ReplyDeleteThat is why you make Lawson the AD, President or some other high level university official that would not directly lobby the legislature but would have a reason to report to the state on issues pertaining to FAMU.
FAMU's lobbyist is a joke...Senator Lawson is the best lobbyist FAMu has!
ReplyDeleteLawson needs to stay in politics where he is very effective. The AD position is very complicated and requires more than just fundraising and cadeal making. There are many regulations with the NCAA. Did we forget that FAMU is just getting off probation? Politicians are deal makers and the deals aren't always clean. We need to be very careful who we put in as AD.
ReplyDeleteSo money cannot solve all of athletics problems. I thought the fact they had a 1.3 or 2.3 million shortfall was the real problem> I would like to know what special problems out of the ordinary FAMU athletics has for the new AD to solve?
ReplyDelete