Future Senate leader vows to boost state’s universities

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – The next Florida Senate president is promising to boost the status of the state’s public universities.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday voted to designate Sen. Joe Negron as their nominee for Senate president. Negron will assume his post in November 2016 if Republicans hold on to their majority.

Negron, a 54-year-old attorney from Stuart, outlined his top priorities after the vote.

He said his main goals are to elevate Florida’s public universities to the same elite status as schools in North Carolina and Michigan. He said that during his two years as president, he wants to increase funding to the universities by $1 billion.

Negron also said he wants to make the state’s Bright Futures scholarship program cover most of the cost for college.