Board drops tuition lawsuit

TALLAHASSEE — The Board of Governors has withdrawn from a lawsuit against the Florida Legislature over which body can set university tuition and other governance issues.

The board announced its decision Monday.

The lawsuit has strained relations between the board, which oversees Florida’s 11 public universities, and lawmakers.

The board, though, is one of several plaintiffs, including former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham. He helped lead a petition campaign that created the panel as a constitutional body after the Legislature abolished its predecessor agency, the Board of Regents.

Gov. Charlie Crist called the decision an “important step in Florida’s purposeful effort to create a world-class education system.”