The AFC Advocacy Toolkit and Legislative Information

LEGISLATIVE QUICKLINKS FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM QUICKLINKS

General Advocacy and Legislative Information

Advocacy on behalf of the AFC membership is one of the primary activities of the Association.  The AFC Legislative Committee is comprised of members all of whom serve as their college's registered lobbyist. Moreover, the Association's Policy and Advocacy Committee comprises all 28 presidents.

Collectively and in coordination with the Division of Florida Colleges, policy issues are prioritized and advocated under the Association umbrella.  The AFC pays particular attention to matters that could directly impact its individual members and mobilizes the membership through a series of educational meetings and informative publications. Along with advocating for the annual system budget and substantive policy issues, the AFC monitors retirement, employee benefits, and related personnel issues.

CAPITOL PERCEPTIONS - links to current and past issues.

CAPITOL PERCEPTIONS is the AFC's weekly legislative newsletter for our members. This electronic publication provides timely updates on current legislative issues and their progress throughout legislative session. CAPITOL PERCEPTIONS is posted online and distributed electronically to all AFC members each Monday during legislative session.

Upon the conclusion of each legislative session the AFC Legislative Committee prepares an annual summary of legislative bills related to higher education that passed or failed. Each bill and its impact is described. Additionally a comprehensive summary of the Florida College System legislative appropriations is provided. 

2022 Legislative Session Information

Key 2022 Regular Legislative Session Dates

  • January 11, 2022 Regular Session convenes 
  • March 11, 2022 60th day—last day of Regular Session 

THE AFC LEGISLATIVE TEAM

The AFC Legislative team works year-round in the Florida Legislature to monitor, analyze and lobby issues that impact the Florida College System and all AFC members. Committee members represent the interests of the system-wide issues, as well as the particular interests of their respective colleges.

Each member develops relationships with their college's legislative delegation and works with them both in-district and in Tallahassee to keep them informed and knowledgeable on matters facing our colleges. Each committee is also given "lead issue" assignments annually.  Lead issues are areas of policy that could emerge during any legislative session. 

The lead issue person is responsible for monitor, analyzing, and reporting on that issue to the COP and the Legislative Committee. The AFC Legislative Committee includes college governmental relations liaisons from Florida's state and community colleges.

2022 AFC LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

Marsha Kiner, Association of Florida Colleges
Lacey Hofmeyer, Broward College, Chair
Eired Eddy, St. Petersburg College, Vice-Chair
Brian Babb, Daytona State College
Jamie Bateman, South Florida State College 
Virginia Berg, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Rachael Bonlarron, Palm Beach State College
Paul Carland, Seminole State College
Joe Coleman, Florida SouthWestern State College
Jay Galbraith, Valencia College
Candice Grause, Tallahassee Community College
Jack Hall, St. Johns River State College
Eric Johnson, Hillsborough Community College
Robert Jones, Florida SouthWestern State College
Jessica McClain, College of Central Florida
Liam McClay, Santa Fe College
Mike McKee, Florida Gateway College
Bill Mullowney, Valencia College
Maggie Perez, Miami Dade College
Sandy Cessaretti-Ray, Pensacola State College
Brian Thomas, State College of Florida, Manatee~Sarasota
Andy Treadwell, Indian River State College

AFC CONTRACT LOBBYISTS


The AFC contracts with lobbyists to work with the Legislative Committee and the Council of Presidents to promote our positions on a variety of issues, and also to provide access to the highest levels of the legislature and the Governor's Office.  This access provides the AFC unprecedented ability to meet with legislative staff and shape policy issues in partnership with them.  Moreover, on very difficult issues the contract lobbyists provide unique access to legislative leadership in the Capitol.

Seth McKeel, Southern Group - Association of Florida Colleges

AFC LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

The Legislative Committee covers a myriad of issues.  Policy issues monitored directly on behalf of AFC members include employee benefit areas such as:

  1. Florida Retirement System

  2. Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP)

  3. Sick leave and Annual Leave

  4. Severance

  5. Continuing Contracts and Tenure

  6. Academic Freedom and Speech

Other issues monitored by the committee relate to college "system-wide" policies including but not limited to:

  1. Community College Program Fund

  2. Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO)

  3. Dual Enrollment

  4. Residency

  5. Online learning

  6. Developmental Education

  7. Contracting

  8. General Education

  9. Career Education

  10. College Placement Testing

  11. Facilities Management and Maintenance

  12. Matching programs

  13. Tuition and Fees

  14. Campus Safety

  15. Guns on Campus 

OTHER RESOURCES

Have an issue you would like to be considered for Legislative Action?  Download the Legislative Issue Request Form.

   

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