Legislative Notebook: Rising university fees prove unpopular

There's a long-running joke at the state Capitol in Atlanta that there's a fourth branch of government almost as powerful as the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

That would be the University System of Georgia and its Board of Regents, the appointees who oversee the state's two- and four-year colleges and universities and a state appropriation worth roughly $2 billion this fiscal year.

But some legislators aren't laughing. Instead they're giving the Regents the stink eye for year after year of tuition and fee increases. House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, has said the schools' control of their tuition and fees should be part of keeping the HOPE Scholarship fund healthy.

In budget hearings this week, system Chancellor Hank Huckaby took a bit of a grilling from lawmakers over tuition costs. Huckaby told lawmakers the schools are serious about trying to keep costs down but that certain things are pricey, like top-tier professors. He said the process of merging schools already has meant millions of dollars freed up for academics instead of administration.

That's not quite enough for some legislators. State Rep. David Stover, R-Newnan, said tuition increases are pricing the poorest students out of school and driving HOPE into insolvency.

He filed House Resolution 1112, which would put voters in charge and make the board an elected body.

"We have no control in the General Assembly over the Board of Regents, but it's time that we give control of the Board of Regents to the people of the state of Georgia," Stover said.

BRAC STUDY COMMITTEE PROPOSED

A retired Air Force major now serving in the state Legislature says it's time to create a study committee to figure out what the state should do to help base communities escape the attentions of the federal Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

"We need to coordinate together to protect our bases," said state Rep. Dave Belton, R-Buckhead.

Georgia does not have the military champions in Washington, D.C. it once had, including U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn and U.S. Rep. Carl Vinson, he said.

Belton's bill, which is not yet numbered, would create a committee of 15 House members who would hold meetings statewide later this year.

Robins Air Force Base is a top priority with midstate lawmakers, and they supported building the new Military and Academic Training Center in Warner Robins.

KIDD HUNTS COUNTY CASH IN FINE PRINT

Some Georgians who do not live in a city end up paying a few bucks a month to cities anyway as part of their electric or natural gas bills. In the fine print, they're called "franchise fees," and utilities collect them in order to pay cities for using rights of way. Counties are not allowed to make the same charges.

But state Rep. Rusty Kidd, I-Milledgeville, is not very interested in cities benefitting from that cash from people who live in unincorporated areas.

A bill he's drafted would let counties levy electric and natural gas franchise fees as well.

Kidd said his House Bill 789 is a starting point, and he's open to modifications. He said he doesn't want to take anything away from cities necessarily, but he argues that county residents shouldn't have to pay into cities' coffers.

Telegraph writer Maggie Lee compiled this report.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Legislative Notebook: Rising university fees prove unpopular ."