Latest news with #KiyanMichael
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida House passes E-Verify measure, but bill looks dead in the Senate
Duval County Republican Kiyan Michael is shown in this Florida House photo. Despite the Senate's inaction, the House passed a bill Wednesday requiring all employers to use an online system to verify that their new hires can legally work in the country. Public agencies, their contractors, and companies with more than 25 employees are now required to use E-Verify, but companies with fewer than 25 employees would also have to use the system under HB 955 from Seminole Republican Rep. Berny Jacques. House lawmakers approved the change, 88-25, with seven Democrats joining every Republican in supporting the bill. However, it's unlikely that the proposal will make it to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk because the Senate didn't take up in any of its committees other proposals to expand the E-Verify requirement. That's despite the fact that the proposal enjoyed bipartisan support in the Legislature's upper chamber, with bills that would require all businesses in Florida to use E-Verify filed by South Florida Democrat Jason Pizzo (SB 782) and Hernando County Republican Blaise Ingoglia (SB 1498). The Florida Legislature passed a bill in 2021 requiring all public employers, contractors, and subcontractors to use E-Verify. They followed that up with a measure two years ago requiring that only private companies with more than 25 employees have to use the system. More than 441,000 Florida companies have fewer than 20 employees, according to a 2023 report from the Office of Advocacy at the U.S. Small Business Administration. Florida law now allows businesses with fewer than 25 employees the option of using E-Verify or the federal form I-9 issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. North Miami-Dade County Rep. Dotie Joseph noted that provision in arguing against the proposal, saying that nothing stops Florida businesses from choosing to use E-Verify right now. 'If they choose to use I-9, let them,' she said. 'If they choose to use E-Verify, let them. But most businesses just say no to E-Verify. You know why? Because it sucks.' She called the bill a 'politically motivated anti-immigrant attack that hurts Florida businesses and hard-working people who are looking to hire and work legally in this country.' Orlando Democrat Anna Eskamani said of the proposal, 'We're basically taking a population of hard-working people and rejecting them, purely based on what the federal government defines as an unregulated status. And I think that's dangerous, bad for economy, [and] does not make any one of us more safe.' Duval County Republican Kiyan Michael co-sponsored the measure. She lost her son Brandon to a 2007 auto accident blamed on an undocumented immigrant who'd already been deported twice and who was driving without a license. 'Those who are voting down on this bill, who did you take an oath to?' she asked, looking at the Democrats on the other side the House chamber. 'I'm sure it was not for people who were not able to vote for you, and who did not vote for you.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Measure to require E-Verify for all Florida businesses moves to House
Screenshot from the Florida Channel of House Republicans Kiyan Michael from Duval County & Berny Jacques from Pinellas speaking to the House Commerce Committee on April 7, 2025. The Florida Legislature passed a law two years ago that required employers with more than 25 employees to use E-Verify to vet the legal status of new hires. Now, with Florida Republicans already passing strong measures this year cracking down on illegal immigration to align with President Donald Trump's goal of mass deportations, a proposal (HB 955) that would require all private employers in Florida to use the E-Verify system to check each employee's legal status won approval by its second committee in the House on Monday, and now will go to the floor for a final vote. 'It builds upon what we've already done here in the state of Florida,' said Pinellas County Republican Rep. Berny Jacques, a co-sponsor along with Jacksonville Republican Kiyan Michael. 'Prior to two years ago, there was no requirement whatsoever for private employers, unless if you were contracting with the state government. We did a requirement for 25 or more employees, so that closes that gap to make sure that the workforce integrity is uplifted and we are making sure that every worker in this state is authorized to do so legally.' The Legislature passed significant measures cracking down on illegal immigration in a special session in early February, including making it a misdemeanor for immigrants over the age of 18 to 'knowingly' enter Florida and imposing the death penalty for immigrants lacking permanent legal status who are convicted of capital crimes such as murder or sexual abuse of minors under 12. Thomas Kennedy with the Florida Immigrant Coalition said the expansion of E-Verify was a 'bad deal for Floridians,' noting the state is already facing an acute worker shortage. 'At a time where we are basically touching all the 'do not touch' buttons in terms of wrecking our economy, including mass layoffs, increasing prices, undermining consumer and international confidence, why would we continue messing with our state, with our workforce?' he asked the House Commerce Committee. However, both Republicans and some Democrats applauded the measure. 'Every job in Florida should go to someone who is legally authorized to work in this country. Period,' said Panhandle Republican Rep. Michelle Salzman. 'We must prioritize American workers and Florida families who are here legally.' Miami-Dade Republican David Borrero questioned why anyone on the committee could opposed E-Verify for all businesses. And he said it would encourage employers to pay higher wages for American workers. 'If you are opposed to this bill, then what you are saying is that you are okay creating an environment where people can break the law,' he said. 'You are okay with an environment where they can take away jobs from the American people. … [I]f this is truly creating a working shortage, then what that means is that we do not have reasonable-paying jobs in these industries. And so you know what happens is that when you take away these jobs from undocumented immigrants, maybe now we're going to have jobs that pay reasonable rates — maybe now developers, contractors, farmers where they're actually going to pay reasonable rates for the American people. That's what's going to happen.' Florida is one of 23 states that use E-Verify in some fashion, although only a handful require all private companies to use the system. The bill passed, 19-3, with three Democrats joining every Republican on the House Commerce Committee supporting it. Whether the proposal makes it into law is in question, though, as the Legislature begins its sixth week in the nine-week session. None of the bills filed in the Senate that addresses E-Verify have been heard in any committee yet. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
