Reelection-hungry Scott proposes partial restoration of SUS budget

Last year, Gov. Rick Scott asked lawmakers to leave the State University System of Florida’s (SUS) budget alone. But he ultimately signed a budget that slashed public university operating dollars by $300 million.

This year, the governor dogged by rock bottom poll numbers is asking the Florida Legislature to return $118 million of what it took away in 2012-2013. He is also proposing $167 million for “performance funding” and another special line item of $15 million to help the University of Florida achieve a national ranking in the top ten of public institutions.

Just like his FYE 2013 budget, Scott’s new spending plan asks the legislature not to approve any new tuition hikes.

The governor further recommended “$244.2 million for fixed capital outlay funding for public higher education, including $100 million in new funding to expand STEM education through necessary facility construction and renovation.” The budget also adds $37.9 million in Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds for critical deferred maintenance projects in the SUS.

Back in 2011, Scott vetoed all of FAMU’s PECO funds. That money included $2,014,769 for electrical and technology upgrades on FAMU’s campus and $500,000 for FAMU’s Public Health Entomology Research and Education Lab in Panama City. But he did support $35 million in PECO funding for a pet project, Florida Polytechnic University.

FAMU’s top construction priority remains Pharmacy Phase II. The university still needs $6,049,000 to finish up the facility.

Last year, Scott vetoed $1.5 million that lawmakers appropriated for the operating budget of the Crestview Education Center. State Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, helped FAMU obtain the money to temporarily fill the funding gap in order to make sure that the Crestview campus opened in 2012-2013, as scheduled.

Overall, Scott’s proposed budget would be the largest in Florida history, with a total of $74.2 billion. But it still calls for 3,647 state jobs to be eliminated and denies state workers an across-the-board raise.