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Moffitt Lobbies To Restore Research, Building Budgets

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By CATHERINE DOLINSKI

cdolinski@tampatrib.com

Published: January 10, 2009

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Senate wants to strip more than $700,000 from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Center, on top of the $10 million that lawmakers took from the center last spring.

As Moffitt officials lobby this week to protect their research budget - currently $11.7 million - they are also working with lawmakers to reclaim the $10 million the Legislature took from the center's budget for construction bonding. That thrusts the cancer center into the middle of evolving discussions over increasing the cigarette tax, the primary source of state funding for Moffitt's planned $371 million building expansion.

The $703,000 senators were proposing Friday to cut from the cancer center represents 6 percent of its appropriation for research. That's 2 percent more than either Gov. Charlie Crist or the House has advocated taking away.

If the Senate prevails, the center will have $234,400 less to recruit researchers and purchase equipment, Moffitt lobbyist Jamie Wilson said.

Evelyn Lynn, Senate budget chief for higher education, said all research centers that don't enroll students received the 6 percent cut to allow for lesser cuts to enrolling universities.

"We have said from the beginning, protect students at all costs," said Lynn, R-Ormond Beach.

Moffitt could also lose research dollars because of cuts to the Bankhead-Coley and James and Esther King cancer research programs, which awarded Moffitt researchers more than $2.5 million this fiscal year. The Senate is proposing $7.5 million in cuts to the two grant programs; the House is proposing cuts totaling $600,000.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said it's too early to speculate how the proposed cuts would impact Moffitt. The House and Senate are in final negotiations this weekend over the cuts they are proposing to the stave off a $2.4 billion deficit this fiscal year.

Meanwhile, Moffitt hopes to convince lawmakers next session to replenish its construction budget.

The country's fastest growing cancer research center, Moffitt has run out of space. The center's million expansion is planned to start as soon as March on its campus off McKinley Drive. The project would enlarge Moffitt's research space and eventually increase its outpatient treatment facility.

Doing so, Wilson said, would bring 1,200 high-paying jobs to the Bay area.

Until last session, Moffitt receive about 4 percent of the proceeds from the state's cigarette tax each year - about $15 million - for its brick-and-mortar costs. But lawmakers allowed two-thirds of that funding to expire on Dec. 31, leaving the cancer center with $5 million, which is already bonded for construction. Legislative leaders said at the time that the state was facing too many painful budget cuts to justify continued spending on construction.

Moffitt's leaders are pinning much of their hope on Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, who plans to file a bill for the session starting in March restoring the expired funding.

"I would argue that it's a tremendous investment; it's a great thing for the Tampa Bay area because it allows them to take that money, bond it, build new structures with it and expand the Moffitt Center," Weatherford said.

Another bill, from Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek, would increases taxes on cigarette packs from 34 cents to $1 as well as reserve 4 percent of the proceeds for Moffitt.

His plan, which will come up this spring, mirrors one that Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Delray Beach, filed last year. Deutch is now working on a new proposal for the spring session.

While the details are still developing, Deutch said, "Moffitt will be recognized for the role it plays as a major cancer center in Florida."

With the state now billions of dollars in the hole, the cigarette tax has sparked interest among Republicans as well. Rep. Juan Zapata, R-Miami, has filed a proposal that would raise the cigarette tax by 65 cents and pour the money into health spending, but earmark none of it for Moffitt.

Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382.

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