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Jugglers, a stilt walker and the Florida State University Band were all part of FSU Day at the State Capitol today. The eleventh annual event is designed to showcase all that is good at the University, and to highlight its needs. President Eric Barron says he wants legislation to give the school tuition flexibility, and he says the University is in dire need of maintenance funds since their funding source is drying up.

 “The funds for doing maintenance and building have completely dried up. And It’s based on a tax on landlines. Landlines are declining so we’ve got this very important physical plant that’s going to decay if we don’t have ways in which we can keep it up.”

 Under the pre-eminence bill being sought by FSU, the school could charge more tuition for some high demand degrees and use the money to distinguish itself in certain fields. The legislation passed last year but was vetoed by the Governor.