Latest news with #TRUMPAct
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis: Lawmakers pulled ‘out of their rear ends' bill ending remote work for agency heads
Gov. Ron DeSantis bashes the TRUMP Act during a press conference in Destin on Jan. 31, 2025. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass stands next to the governor. (Screenshot Florida Channel) Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo lives in Pinellas County, nearly 260 miles from the Florida Department of Health's central office in Tallahassee, but lawmakers want him and other executive branch appointees to move to the state capital. Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled Tuesday he would veto the legislation, which he said would have the effect of firing agency heads who don't live in Tallahassee. Proposals that a Senate panel approved unanimously Tuesday and the House could vote on Wednesday would end remote work for agency heads and other appointees of the governor by Oct. 1. 'They're saying all the agency heads must live in the swamp,' DeSantis said during a press conference in Pensacola. 'I want to drain the swamp; I don't want to refill the swamp. Where are they getting this? It's an asinine proposal.' While the governor's bashing was aimed at the House, the Senate is also moving forward with the proposal. 'They're pulling it out of their rear ends and trying to jam it through this process. Over my veto pen,' DeSantis said. Vero Beach Republican Sen. Erin Grall's bill, SB 1760, additionally would require university trustees and members of the Board of Governors to be U,S. citizens and state residents. Trustees must be alumni of the university they're appointed to and members of the board must be alumni of a state university if they don't live in the state. The Republican senator said she wasn't trying to target any specific agency heads with her proposal. 'We have agencies that have leaders — the secretary or the executive director, or the chief administrative officer — who need to be present. This is to further the conversation about what does this mean,' Grall said during the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government meeting. She added: 'If they choose to live in another place, should we be reimbursing the cost of that travel?' Trustees must move to Florida by Jan. 6, 2027, to keep their posts under the proposal. New College of Florida Trustee Christopher Rufo is an example of a DeSantis appointee who is neither a Florida resident nor an alumnus, yet has helped lead the governor's culture war on higher education at the Sarasota institution. Most recently, a panel of senators recommended against confirmation of one of DeSantis' nominees for the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. Lawmakers criticized Adam Kissell, a Heritage Foundation fellow, for living in West Virginia. 'I think that it's unfortunate when you look at the number of trustees that that are on our slate for confirmation, and you look at where a lot of them are from, and you look at one individual, particularly, who is not even from our state,' said Republican Sen. Jay Trumbull, who represents the area, during the March 27 panel. Kissel has faced criticism for advocating defunding of public universities and suggesting the GI bill led to over-enrolled four-year colleges. While the Senate bill has to get through one more committee, the House version, HB 1445, from Melbourne Republican Rep. Debbie Mayfield, is up on the floor this week. A provision prohibiting unelected state employees from conducting campaign-type activities while they're working is missing from the Senate version of the bill. Under Mayfield's proposal, state employees couldn't participate in political campaigns, solicit contributions, or use their authority to influence people's votes. Those prohibitions would apply both to candidate and issue campaigns, and employees could face a first-degree misdemeanor penalties if they do so. The move from the House comes after NBC News reported that state employees in the governor's office called lobbyists to request donations for a political committee aligned with DeSantis as he and the First Lady hinted that she was mulling a run for governor. State employees also engaged in activities that could be banned when they joined DeSantis' campaign against last year's ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana and protect abortion access. Both Ladapo and Jason Weida, former secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, were targets of lawsuits over the health department's letters threatening broadcasters that aired ads on behalf of the pro-abortion-rights campaign, Amendment 4. The surgeon general also appeared in press conferences against the passage of the marijuana constitutional amendment. AHCA's creation of a webpage stating that Amendment 4 'threatens women's safety' and Weida's promotion of it prompted a complaint to the Florida Supreme Court, which ultimately sided with the DeSantis administration because the plaintiff lacked standing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After weeks of GOP tension, Florida Legislature passes sweeping illegal immigration bills
After weeks of fighting among Republicans, Florida's GOP-controlled Legislature swiftly passed sweeping measures Thursday designed to aid President Donald Trump's mass deportations. The moves attempt to put Florida on the frontlines with Trump, as the White House openly battles with blue states such as New York over immigration. The legislation guarantees the state will spend nearly $300 million to help state and local authorities detain migrants and then hand them over to federal authorities for deportation. In the measure, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Thursday afternoon, legislators adopted criminal measures that may be tested in the courts — including one that would mandate the death penalty for anyone who has entered the country illegally and is convicted of a capital crime such as murder. 'We are ahead of the curve on ending the illegal immigration crisis. We didn't just sit [on] our hands. We got to work, we hashed it out, and we've got a great product going forward,' the governor said. The legislation passed both chambers easily. The main bill that was sponsored by long-time Trump ally state Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) passed that chamber by a 27-10 tally and was then approved by the House on a 85-30 vote. The immigration legislation has gone through different iterations in the span of three weeks. One drastic change is the creation of a State Board of Immigration Enforcement responsible for coordinating with ICE, local law enforcement and the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. It also establishes a State Immigration Enforcement Council to advise the board. Unlike the TRUMP Act, the bill the Legislature passed in its own previous special session and which was met with intense criticism from the governor and several GOP lawmakers, the new legislation received praise. 'This is the Sunshine State, and today, the light is shining bright,' state Senate President Ben Albritton said. Concerning the intense public battle on social media between the governor and the Legislature, DeSantis said what happens within state government is 'business' and 'it's not personal.' 'I know both Ben and [House Speaker Daniel Perez], they've worked hard to get in their positions,' DeSantis said. 'They want to leave a mark. They want to leave a legacy of success. And so they're going to have a good partner with me as governor, as they work through different policies through their respective chambers. But this was, I think, a healthy exercise, and I don't think you're going to see any lingering feelings at all, certainly not from me.' Albritton backed the governor's sentiments and went further, saying the 'exercise' has made their 'Republican family' stronger. For state Rep. Mike Caruso (R-Delray Beach), the latest special session offered a 'big victory for the government' and 'vindication' for himself as the sole GOP House member to vote against the TRUMP Act. 'Millions of Floridians spoke out against the amnesty bill, otherwise known as the TRUMP Act,' he told POLITICO. The measures also repeal a decade-old law that grants in-state tuition to undocumented students who attended a Florida high school. Senate Democrats called for an amendment that would offer a 'glide path' to undocumented students already enrolled in state colleges. It failed 22-14, with four Republicans voting yes. 'I just thought it was petty, and I'm sure that President Trump was not focused on [repealing this law],' Ileana Garcia, one of the GOP senators who voted yes on the amendment, said. Minority Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo also proposed an amendment that would enforce all employers — not just those with 25 employees or more — to use E-Verify. It was ruled out of order since it 'did not meet the call of special session.' 'If we're going to be tough on illegal immigration and we're going to stem the tide and curb the crisis, we should be honest with ourselves and require all employers in Florida to use E-Verify,' he said. State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the House Democratic leader, echoed Pizzo's statement, saying that 'The Republicans in Florida want to sound tough on immigration, but they don't actually want to fix it, because if they wanted to fix it they'd be pushing Congress and President Donald Trump to address these issues.' Perez and Albritton mentioned that they would revisit the section on wiring money abroad and the E-Verify statute during the regular session. 'But immigration is a big enough problem to where I don't think we're ever done discussing on how we can fight the crisis of illegal immigration,' Perez said.
Politico
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
After weeks of GOP tension, Florida Legislature passes sweeping illegal immigration bills
After weeks of fighting among Republicans, Florida's GOP-controlled Legislature swiftly passed sweeping measures Thursday designed to aid President Donald Trump's mass deportations. The moves attempt to put Florida on the frontlines with Trump, as the White House openly battles with blue states such as New York over immigration. The legislation guarantees the state will spend nearly $300 million to help state and local authorities detain migrants and then hand them over to federal authorities for deportation. In the measure, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Thursday afternoon, legislators adopted criminal measures that may be tested in the courts — including one that would mandate the death penalty for anyone who has entered the country illegally and is convicted of a capital crime such as murder. 'We are ahead of the curve on ending the illegal immigration crisis. We didn't just sit [on] our hands. We got to work, we hashed it out, and we've got a great product going forward,' the governor said. The legislation passed both chambers easily. The main bill that was sponsored by long-time Trump ally state Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) passed that chamber by a 27-10 tally and was then approved by the House on a 85-30 vote. The immigration legislation has gone through different iterations in the span of three weeks. One drastic change is the creation of a State Board of Immigration Enforcement responsible for coordinating with ICE, local law enforcement and the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. It also establishes a State Immigration Enforcement Council to advise the board. Unlike the TRUMP Act, the bill the Legislature passed in its own previous special session and which was met with intense criticism from the governor and several GOP lawmakers, the new legislation received praise. 'This is the Sunshine State, and today, the light is shining bright,' state Senate President Ben Albritton said. Concerning the intense public battle on social media between the governor and the Legislature, DeSantis said what happens within state government is 'business' and 'it's not personal.' 'I know both Ben and [House Speaker Daniel Perez], they've worked hard to get in their positions,' DeSantis said. 'They want to leave a mark. They want to leave a legacy of success. And so they're going to have a good partner with me as governor, as they work through different policies through their respective chambers. But this was, I think, a healthy exercise, and I don't think you're going to see any lingering feelings at all, certainly not from me.' Albritton backed the governor's sentiments and went further, saying the 'exercise' has made their 'Republican family' stronger. For state Rep. Mike Caruso (R-Delray Beach), the latest special session offered a 'big victory for the government' and 'vindication' for himself as the sole GOP House member to vote against the TRUMP Act. 'Millions of Floridians spoke out against the amnesty bill, otherwise known as the TRUMP Act,' he told POLITICO. The measures also repeal a decade-old law that grants in-state tuition to undocumented students who attended a Florida high school. Senate Democrats called for an amendment that would offer a 'glide path' to undocumented students already enrolled in state colleges. It failed 22-14, with four Republicans voting yes. 'I just thought it was petty, and I'm sure that President Trump was not focused on [repealing this law],' Ileana Garcia, one of the GOP senators who voted yes on the amendment, said. Minority Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo also proposed an amendment that would enforce all employers — not just those with 25 employees or more — to use E-Verify. It was ruled out of order since it 'did not meet the call of special session.' 'If we're going to be tough on illegal immigration and we're going to stem the tide and curb the crisis, we should be honest with ourselves and require all employers in Florida to use E-Verify,' he said. State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the House Democratic leader, echoed Pizzo's statement, saying that 'The Republicans in Florida want to sound tough on immigration, but they don't actually want to fix it, because if they wanted to fix it they'd be pushing Congress and President Donald Trump to address these issues.' Perez and Albritton mentioned that they would revisit the section on wiring money abroad and the E-Verify statute during the regular session. 'But immigration is a big enough problem to where I don't think we're ever done discussing on how we can fight the crisis of illegal immigration,' Perez said.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigration reform: A win for Florida or a setback for immigrants?
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — After weeks of back-and-forth barbs, Governor Ron DeSantis has struck a deal with rebellious state lawmakers within his own party and called for another special session to tackle immigration issues. So how will the proposed plan impact undocumented immigrants and what do Florida Democrats have to say about it? Skyrocketing fees: St. Pete condo owners say they never asked for bailout, only relief 'This is a story of ideas and what we have assembled is what we believe are the best ideas to support President Trump in his efforts to work on illegal immigration in this country,' said Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula.'Every single time I stand in this chamber, I am reminded we are a part of something bigger than ourselves,' said House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami. Governor DeSantis and legislative leaders have compromised, blending both of their immigration proposals into one.'This is a win for Florida and a win for the country,' said Senator Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota. One of the bills that will be debated on aims to protect state borders, making it a state level offense to enter or re-enter Florida illegally.'If you are a criminal illegal alien and you have a detained request outstanding, and you're a gang banger, cartel member, a bad person, then yes, you should be afraid. If you're an uninvited guest and not breaking the law, no you should not be worried,' Gruters said. Republican sponsors of the new bill package say the latest version is similar to the TRUMP Act with only minor adjustments. However, even with those changes, Democrats are not impressed, but rather worried for immigrants here in the state.'If I am an immigrant period and I am in this country illegally, even though I may not be a criminal, but I am here illegally, you're saying that I am going to be deported. So I am not understanding this,' said Representative Dianne Hart, D-Tampa. 'People have every right to be afraid and they are petrified.' As the governor and legislature try and align with the Trump Administration on immigration, Representative Hart questions who she came here to serve'I came here thinking I was going to be working on behalf of the people of the state of Florida. You have me working for the president of the United States,' Hart DeSantis says the policies presented now are something he can get behind. Lawmakers will debate on the bill hoping to finally wrap up the special session on illegal immigration Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New session marks turning point for DeSantis, legislators on immigration issues
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Lawmakers kicked off their third special session of the year in Tallahassee Tuesday. They continued to pursue illegal immigration issues after the TRUMP Act was criticized by Governor Ron DeSantis for not being strong enough. After weeks of escalating tensions between the governor and legislative leaders, was it all just a temporary political standoff or will they finally make progress? Appeals court won't halt judge's order requiring Trump administration to unfreeze all federal cash 'This is our second special session within 30 days to address a problem that really the federal government should be working on, so that means we have missed opportunities to focus on issues that are important to Floridians, like lowering the cost of healthcare, or their auto insurance or property insurance,' said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa. In the past four weeks, lawmakers have met for a special session A, B, and now C, all to take up immigration proposals, as DeSantis and legislative leaders went back and forth on whose policies were a better fit for Floridians. DeSantis and lawmakers are now singing a different tune, some calling it teamwork while others argue the past few weeks have been a waste of time.'I don't know how many of you have siblings, sibling squabble sometimes, and what we've done is, we've worked our way through that. And we've come up with what we believe is a great couple of bills,' said Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula. 'I feel good about it, and no I don't think there is going to be carryover.' In what's being described as a 'team effort' both chambers have filed three pieces of legislation blending the governor's and legislature's policies.'We have a great team. At the end of the day this is a good bill. This is a great bill. What we passed a couple weeks ago was the strongest immigration bill that's ever been passed in the history of Florida, in the history of the country. This makes it even stronger,' said State Senator Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota. Pinellas lawmaker files bill to adopt 'Gulf of America' name in Florida statutes Republicans are calling this a unified effort, at last. While Democrats claim it's just a costly exercise in futility for taxpayers. 'A lot of time has been wasted on this while the Republicans in the legislature and the governor tries to suck up to Donald Trump,' Driskell said. 'We're elected to do a job here, and that's to look out for Floridians, to help every Floridian enjoy the freedom to be healthy, prosperous, and safe, and Republicans have missed out big on that.' To support the Trump administration, the bills up for debate this week contain legislation that criminalizes illegal entry into Florida, mandates the death penalty for illegal immigrants convicted of capital offenses, ends in-state tuition at colleges and universities and removes the role of immigration officer from the commissioner of agriculture, a move DeSantis opposed. 'The governor wanted it to be a deep-state employee, we wanted it to be an elected official. Where we've landed the plane is it will not be the governor's responsibility, it will be the cabinets responsibility,' said State Senator Randy Fine, R-Brevard. 'The governor will be one of the four people on the cabinet who gets to give input, but the Cabinet has to work unanimously in order to set that policy.' Governor DeSantis says it has his full support, if the proposals remain as are presented. 'All in all, I think this is really, really strong, I commend the legislature for stepping up to the plate. If they're able to pass the proposals as presented now, they can expect my strong support. Now is the time for us to get this done,' DeSantis wrote on X. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
