Members of the House Higher Education Appropriations committee received a breakdown of the budget for the year Thursday. As Blaise Gainey reports, the chairman says the entire budget for colleges and universities will be up for discussion this session.
"Just because something has been working for the past 5 years, doesn’t mean it should continue to work that way for the next 5 years,” said Palm Bay Republican Representative Randy fine, the committee chairman.
Fine continued saying, "I want everyone to walk out of here recognizing it cost 35 thousand I think it was 800 dollars per student that we are sending to our state university system. We can all reflect on that number moving forward. That is a lot of money, so I think we need to think about that moving forward."
Earlier in the week, the committee heard from a state economist warning about the potential for a recession in the next few years. Fine told the committee future agenda items will focus on fiscal accountability, funds carried over from the previous year, and areas like workforce development and blind services.
"You know I am the son of a blind college professor, so I guess that checks two of the boxes that this committee serves," he explained. "And so that’s something that’s meaningful to me and my father’s already told me you better not screw it up.”
