Dear Pamela,
It's been quite a week in Tallahassee.
On Monday Morning the legislature convened for the special session called by the Governor. Then they immediately adjourned the Governor's special session, and convened their own special session focused specifically on immigration.
They also overrode a handful of line-item vetoes that Governor DeSantis had included in the legislature's previous budget. This was the first time that Florida's republican-controlled legislature has ever overridden Governor DeSantis during his six years in power.
While it was refreshing to see Republican legislators recognize they don't work for the Governor, they still haven't realized that they work for the people of Florida—not themselves, and not the President. The legislature used the special session to rush through harsh, complex immigration policies with almost no public input in order to score political points with the new administration.
This was not good governance:
- The half-billion dollar immigration bill was introduced Monday morning , and lawmakers had just two hours to read it before committee hearings began.
- There was no time for legislators to consult local governments, agencies, or their constituents.
- There was almost no public testimony because there was no time for Floridians to get to the capital.
- Then, on Tuesday, a last minute amendment revised the bill and lawmakers had just 20 minutes to read it before they had to debate it on the floor and vote.
If it becomes law, the Tacking and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act will, among other things:
- Repeal Florida's tuition fairness law, which passed in 2014 with bipartisan support and provides in-state tuition rates to Dreamers who graduated high school in Florida.
- Mandate the death penalty for undocumented immigrants convicted of capital offenses.
- Put in place measures to try to force local governments to comply with federal immigration enforcement.
- Further criminalize the voting process, even criminalizing honest mistakes.
The Florida legislature and Governor are both using immigration as a weapon to score political points, leaving Floridians to bear the consequences, instead of focusing on the real issues impacting working families and seniors in our state.
Far too many politicians are blaming immigrants for everything from the economy to crime just to bolster their own political agendas. This division makes our communities less safe. Instead of trying to divide us and make us afraid of each other, politicians should be working to build a future worthy of us all.
This bill has not yet gone to the Governor for his consideration, and we don't know what the next moves will be. Stay tuned for updates, and in the meantime we encourage you to support organizations in your area who are directly serving the immigrant community.
Common Cause will continue to oppose any efforts to strip Floridians of their rights, civil liberties, and access to the ballot box. This isn't over, Pamela, —stay engaged, and let's hold our ll leaders accountable.
In solidarity,
Amy Keith Executive Director and Common Cause
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