Florida Bill Proposing Major Changes To State Athletic Association Likely Dead

TheLedger.com

http://www.theledger.com/article/20130503/politics/305035002?p=1&tc=pg

A bill proposing major changes for the Florida High School Athletic Association likely is dead this year.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, said Thursday evening, “the bill is likely not going to happen. We are running out of time.”

With Senate Bill 1164, Stargel had hoped to, among other things, change the focus of the governing board, which she said is too inbred, by increasing the number of members and how they are appointed.

Stargel’s bill is stuck in Senate Rules Committee, and a Senate source said there appears to be resistance to releasing it. The source also noted that early support from Senate leadership for the bill seemed to have evaporated in recent days.

House Bill 1279, sponsored by Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalaha in Lake County, and similar to Stargel’s bill, passed the House and has been sent over to the Senate, but for three days Senate President Don Gaetz failed to take it up.

Stargel’s bill would have expanded the governing board from 16 to 25 by adding four members appointed by the House and four members appointed by the Senate and an additional member appointed by the commissioner of education.

But she had planned an amendment to her bill, if it ever got to the floor of the Senate, cutting the board to eight members made up of representatives who weren’t part of the FHSAA membership.

Early in the legislative session Roger Dearing, executive director of the Florida High School Athletic Association, said, “We are going to let our voice be heard,” in fighting the bill.