Latest news with #ElectionLawCenter
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers approved FSU Election Law Center, but funding vanishes for 2025-26
As Florida State's College of Law is finding out, the Legislature gives – and the Legislature takes away. Even though lawmakers preliminarily approved funding for the Election Law Center at Florida State University to be codified in statute, the organization won't be receiving any money in the state budget for 2025-26. The House of Representatives originally set aside $950,000 for the center, but the Senate left it totally unfunded. As budget talks near to a close, the House adopted the Senate's position, and now the center is left without state money for next fiscal year. The state's budget year runs July 1-June 30. "We are grateful to the Florida Legislature for passing the first part of the bill that puts the Election Law Center in statute, and we are hopeful it will pave the way for future funding," said Suzi Baugh, communications director for the College of Law. How the center will be funded going forward was not immediately clear. As previously reported, a bill on the "Florida State University Election Law Center" (SB 892), sponsored by Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, allowed the center to be funded directly by the state. It was a way to make sure the center got recurrent state funding and remain in existence indefinitely. "The bill provides that the center will be funded through appropriations in the General Appropriations Act, charitable donations and grants, and other university funds," a staff analysis said. The FSU Election Law Center – spearheaded by law professor Michael Morley – conducts nonpartisan research to provide evidence-based analyses of issues in election laws, which govern the way elections are conducted. The center also helps FSU law students understand how to enhance the public's understanding of the electoral system. It also offers the student learners scholarships, externships and research fellowships to support careers in election law – a field that includes topics such as political spending, voting rights, ballot propositions, redistricting, gerrymandering and campaign finance. The center opened in 2023 and received a nonrecurring appropriation of $1 million that year. While Simon's bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate, it has not yet been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk for signature. Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Legislature backed FSU Election Law Center—just not with cash
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Under new bill, Election Law Center at Florida State aims for long-term state support
Florida State University's Election Law Center – aimed to improve the integrity of elections – is one step closer to ensuring its future. The Senate Committee on Education Postsecondary met at the Florida Capitol Monday afternoon and cleared a measure (SB 892) to officially create the center, housed in FSU's College of Law, in state statutes. That will better enable it to receive recurring state funding, according to state Sen. Corey Simon, the Tallahassee Republican who sponsored the bill. The Florida Legislature awarded the center a nonrecurring appropriation of $1 million in 2023, but receiving recurring funds from the state's yearly spending plan will help the program remain in existence indefinitely. "The bill provides that the center will be funded through appropriations in the General Appropriations Act, charitable donations and grants, and other university funds," a staff analysis says. Further, putting it in state law "will also bolster its ability to attract top-tier talent in election law, election administration and statistical and quantitative analysis,' said Simon, an FSU alumnus, during the brief Monday meeting. It's not yet clear how much the center will get; lawmakers have yet to tackle the annual budget bill. The state's fiscal year runs July 1-June 30. The FSU Election Law Center – spearheaded by law professor Michael Morley – conducts nonpartisan research to provide evidence-based analyses of issues in election laws, which govern the way elections are conducted. Through the initiative, faculty and students work with election administrators, legislators and policymakers to improve election laws, regulations and procedures with the goals of creating better voting opportunities and strengthening public confidence in electoral outcomes. In addition, the center helps FSU law students understand how to enhance the public's understanding of the electoral system. It also offers the student learners scholarships, externships and research fellowships to support careers in election law – a field that includes topics such as political spending, voting rights, ballot propositions, redistricting, gerrymandering and campaign finance. During the committee's meeting Monday, second-year law student, or "2L," Jack Rowan expressed his 'strong' support of the bill ahead of the vote, touching on the work the center has done in providing training sessions and hosting conferences. Rowan referred to a two-day conference hosted earlier this month ahead of the 25th anniversary of Bush v. Gore, where key players of one of the most consequential election cases in U.S. history as well as leading academics on election law came together on campus to talk about the case and the election. "The Election Law Center has already done fantastic work at FSU (College of) Law,' said Rowan, a Jacksonville native who graduated fall 2022 with a bachelor's degree in political science, also from FSU. 'I hope it will continue to do that.' Simon's measure has two more committees to clear before it can be considered by the full Senate. A House companion (HB 1055) also was assigned to three committees but has not yet had a hearing. Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at tjean@ and follow her on X: @tarahjean_. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Legislation on FSU Election Law Center would ensure its future
