TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On the eve of a special legislative session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republican lawmakers Sunday filed a flurry of bills to crack down on undocumented immigrants and place additional restrictions on the ballot initiative process.
The bills, in part, would end in-state tuition at colleges and universities for undocumented-immigrant students known as dreamers; place new requirements on police to help with immigration-enforcement efforts; and dramatically change the petition process for proposed constitutional amendments.
Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, and Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, had filed 11 bills as of late Sunday afternoon, according to the Senate website. Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, and Rep. John Temple, R-Wildwood, had filed House versions that largely mirrored the Senate bills.
DeSantis on Jan. 13 called the special session because he wants lawmakers to make changes to help carry out President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Other issues DeSantis wants lawmakers to take up include making changes in the ballot-initiative process, providing aid to hurricane victims and addressing issues that have increased costs for condominium associations and residents.
The special session, however, has been surrounded by uncertainty because Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, raised objections. Among other things, they said the special session was “premature” and pointed to the March 4 start of the regular legislative session.
DeSantis, however, has made a series of appearances to try to pressure lawmakers into acting on the issues — particularly focusing on immigration issues.
While the bills were filed Sunday, it remained unclear how the special session would play out. The Senate and House are scheduled to convene at 10:30 a.m. Monday, but neither had scheduled committee meetings as of Sunday afternoon to consider the proposals.
Among the proposals:
— Martin and Temple filed bills (SB 20-A and HB 19A) that would repeal a 2014 law that allows undocumented-immigrant students to avoid higher out-of-state tuition rates if they meet certain criteria. Albritton has suggested phasing out the law, taking into account students who already receive the tuition benefit or who are making plans to attend colleges or universities at the cheaper in-state rates.
— Ingoglia and Caruso filed bills (SB 4-A and HB 9A) that say law enforcement agencies in the state “shall” support enforcement of federal immigration laws. Currently, a state law says agencies shall “use best efforts” to support such enforcement. Also, under the bills, when counties receive notice that jail inmates have immigration detainers, they would be required to transport the inmates to federal facilities or to federal officials.
— Ingoglia and Caruso filed bills (SB 14-A and HB 11A) that would require state and county law-enforcement agencies and other police agencies with more than 25 officers to enter agreements with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement to participate in a program that authorizes local officers to perform certain duties of federal immigration agents. The bills also would give the governor authority to suspend the head of a law-enforcement agency “who, in the judgment of the governor, acts in bad faith and fails to comply with any provision” of the bill.
— Collins and Caruso filed bills (SB 18-A and HB 21A) that would overhaul the ballot-initiative process, including what appears to be elimination of the use of paid petition gatherers to collect signatures. Voters could request petition forms to be mailed to them by supervisors of elections; they could then mail back signed petitions. The proposals come after DeSantis led efforts to defeat ballot proposals in November that would have enshrined abortion rights in the state Constitution and allowed recreational use of marijuana.
