TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill banning Florida lawmakers from working at community colleges or universities has died in a Senate committee.

Democrat Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda has been representing a portion of the Big Bend in the Florida House for four years.  But even longer, since the 1980s, she's been a full time professor at Tallahassee Community College.

But the new measure would have forced her to quit one of her jobs.

“Not only unfair, but perhaps unconstitutional,” said Rep. Rehwinkel Vasilinda.

Republican Sen. John Thrasher proposed the legislation to ban lawmakers from working at colleges or universities.

“They're being paid by the legislature, they're being paid by their college or university, then they vote, they have to vote on the appropriations bill, to me it's a potential conflict,” said Sen. Thrasher.

He says it's a conflict of interest for employees of community colleges and universities to vote on a budget, where they may decide how much money their particular school gets.

“When all or most of your income is derived from the appropriations you vote for I think you have a conflict of interest,” said Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Co-sponsor of the bill.

The measure is in the wake of a scandal involving a now former house speaker.  Ray Sansom earmarked 6 million dollars to Northwest Florida State College while in office.  The school later gave Sansom a high-paying job.

But Tuesday, in a Senate committee, lawmakers pushed back, saying employees of colleges and universities bring a wealth of higher education knowledge to the Capitol.