State Legislative Update - March 2017

 

State Legislative Update                               

March 2017

 Legislative news from across the SASFAA region, prepared by your 2016-2017 SASFAA Legislative Relations Committee.

Christen Neher – SASFAA Legislative Relations Chair

Ron Gambill – TASFAA Governmental Relations Chair
Mary Otto – NCASFAA Legislative Advisory Chair
Vanessa Fulton – GASFAA Legislative Affairs Chair
Erin Klarer – KASFAA Legislative Chair
Jennifer Epperson – AASFAA Legislative Relations Chair
Francisco Valines – FASFAA Legislative Relation Chair
Della Bays – VASFAA Government Relations Chair
Amanda Holliday – MASFAA Legislative Chair
Joey Derrick – SCASFAA Legislative Relations Chair
Amy Berrier – SASFAA Past President
Mike O’Grady – Legislative Knowledge Expert

Alabama

Legislators hear presentations on outcomes-based funding: http://www.oanow.com/news/legislators-hear-presentations-on-outcomes-based-funding/article_54c74226-e8fa-11e6-b9b7-8788640a19a1.html

The Legislature should increase higher education funding: http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/02/the_legislature_should_increas.html

Hundreds of students rally at Statehouse for higher education: http://www.oanow.com/news/hundreds-of-students-rally-at-statehouse-for-higher-education/article_b7b0f5bc-fa07-11e6-8f55-b3fdcd21daa5.html

Higher Education Day highlights need for university funding: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2017/02/23/higher-education-day-highlights-need-university-funding/98313052/

Georgia

Chancellor Steve Wrigley recently recommended two consolidations to the Board of Regents: Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Bainbridge State College. The Board acted upon the recommendations at its January 2017 meeting approving the consolidations. The two new institutions will be named Georgia Southern University, to be led by President Jaimie Hebert, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, to be led by President David Bridges.

Resource: http://www.usg.edu/consolidation/

North Carolina

Weapons on Campus – H174

On Thursday, House Bill 174 was introduced, which would make it legal for persons with concealed carry permits to carry a concealed weapon on educational property outside the operating hours of the school when the property is the location of both a school and a building that is a place of religious worship. The term “school” is defined in the statute that is being amended as including a college or university.  The bill does not make it clear that schools, or even places of religious worship that are privately owned, can continue to prevent “concealed carry” if they post their property.

We believe this bill is an attempt to allow churches that have private K-12 schools affiliated with them to allow “concealed carry” on the premises of the church during hours that the school is not in operation, and not an attempt to circumvent the ability of private property owners to post their property.  However, that is not evident from the text of the bill, so we have contacted the primary sponsor, Rep. Reena Turner, to address our concern.  We will keep you posted on our communication and efforts to clarify this bill.

Resource: http://www.ncicu.org/

Kentucky

I need you all to stop what you are doing and call your elected officials to support HB 24. This very important legislation will allow my hair dresser to serve me bourbon while she works her magic on my head. Not even kidding. Personal sanity is at stake here. ;)

In work-related news, HB 312 – KHEAA’s Teacher Scholarship/Best In proposal passed out of the Education Committee and off of the House Floor this week. It will head to the Senate next week.

No action yet on HB 205, 206 or 264. These are the work-ready and dual credit bills. I’m pretty sure 264 is dead though. But if you have strong feelings about either one of these programs, I would suggest bringing it up with your Reps and Senators. 

There are a few higher education tax deduction bills out there (HB 216, 382, 436). Word is that all tax bills are being saved for a special session.

I’m pretty sure the KEES bills, HB 20 and 62, are dead.

HB 481 is interesting. It looks like it is trying to put a box around tuition waivers to limit them to dependents ages 17-26, and only for 128 credit hours.

SB 136 also passed out of committee this week, which will allow for in-state tuition for members of the Kentucky National Guard that live in other states. It will head to the House next.

SB 153 also passed out of the Senate Chamber and will be taken up in the House next week. This is the performance-based funding legislation.

We also had our 2^nd Annual KASFAA Day at the Capitol yesterday (you can see photos on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/KASFAA/. We watched the action on the House and Senate floors, attended a House Education Committee Meeting, met with our elected Representatives and Senators, chatted with officials from the Kentucky Lottery Corporation (which generates revenue for our three biggest state grants and scholarships), and heard from the Legislative Research Commission’s Budget Review staff. It was a great event!

South Carolina

With the 122^nd Session of the South Carolina Legislative session underway, a flurry of higher education-related bills have been introduced.  Many of those bills aim to increase accountability and transparency, as well as cost control and oversight.  Discussions covering the impact of the newly-implemented 10 point grading scale in K-12 on state-supported scholarship and grant programs continue to gain attention.  Legislation has also been discussed allowing concealed weapons permit holders to carry such weapons on public college campuses.

Florida

Florida is currently tracking H.R.615: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include student loan repayers as members of targeted groups for purposes of the work opportunity credit and to provide for a credit against tax for student loan program startup costs.  

Reference H.R. 615 - 115th Congress: Student Loan Repayment Act of 2017 for the details.

Tennessee

Governor Haslem will push for funding the Tennessee Reconnect program during the upcoming budget hearings of the Tennessee Legislature.  The program is similar to Tennessee Promise as it is also a last-dollar scholarship.  It provides free tuition and mandatory fees to independent students who are enrolled in a certificate or associate degree program at a community college or a four-year public or private institution.  If passed, the program would serve over 21,000 students in year one and begin in the Fall 2018 semester.