Tuition bill stalls for law schools

• By WILL SENTELL
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: May 21, 2008 - Page: 6A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Plans to increase law school tuition at LSU and Southern University hit a snag Tuesday in the Legislature.

House backers shelved the legislation for at least a week when sparse House attendance late in the afternoon raised questions on whether it would pass.

The measure, like other tuition bills, requires two-thirds support in both chambers, which is 70 in the 105-member state House of Representatives.

However, only 84 House members were on hand, which would have left supporters with little margin for error.

“We were concerned about going forward trying to reach the 70 votes,” said Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge and sponsor of the LSU portion of the tuition increase.

However, both Foil and Rep. Michael Jackson, D-Baton Rouge and sponsor of the Southern tuition increase, said they are confident the bill will win approval with more members in the House.

“I am very confident we will get it out,” Jackson said after he and Foil opted to delay action on the legislation, possibly until May 29. The session ends on June 23.

The measure under scrutiny is House Bill 1314 by Jackson.

The increases were originally in two separate bills. Foil said the two decided to join forces — the LSU increase would be added to the Southern boost through an amendment — for strategic reasons.

The LSU part of the package would increase tuition by $1,000 each of the next three years for state residents and $2,000 for each of the next three years for out-of-state students who attend the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

The in-state LSU law school  tuition would rise from $10,722 now to $13,722 by the fall of 2010. The out-of-state tuition would rise from $19,818 now to $25,818 in 2010.

The boost would take effect this fall. But new students who  pay for the first part of the increase would not have to pay for subsequent parts of the phase-in. Those coming to LSU during the second year of the increase would not have to pay the final year of the phase-in.

The tuition increase at Southern would be $500 for each of the next three years for both state and out-of-state residents.