TALLAHASSEE—As Governor Ron DeSantis is set to veto the illegal immigration “Trump ACT” that passed in the Florida Legislature, a political revolt or feud by Republican state lawmakers against the governor appears to be coming to a head, with Speaker Danny Perez asserting that the Governor’s office failed to communicate with the Republican-led legislature.
During an exclusive interview with The Floridian, Speaker Danny was asked if lawmakers and Gov. DeSantis could find a compromise between their bill and his immigration proposal.
“We made changes because we were given recommendations to make the bill stronger,” said Speaker Perez.
Perez went on to accuse DeSantis of not communicating with him on the issue and instead pushing on to the legislature a proposal that he calls “less conservative and weaker.”
“The Governor’s office has sent a proposal that they are not willing to have a conversation on unless it only includes their proposal, which I believe is less conservative and weaker than the bill we have passed out of the House,” said Perez.
Over the past few legislative sessions, Republican lawmakers have quietly complained about how Gov. DeSantis and his office has treated them and pushed them to put forward legislation that appeared to benefit DeSantis’s political ambitions.
When asked if DeSantis and his staff were open to talk to him and Republican lawmakers on the immigration issue, or any other issue, Perez added that he (DeSantis) lacked the will to communicate with them.
“They are not. They are not. It’s part of what has gotten us to this point. Part of what has gotten us to this point is the lack of willingness to have a conversation between the executive branch and the Legislature. There has been a lack of communication,” he added. I’m always open to having the conversation, but it is hard to see each other’s differences when there isn’t direct communication.”
DeSantis has announced that he would veto the legislative measure Perez and Senate President Albritton put out because it was “weak.”
Once DeSantis vetoes the bill, the legislature could convene for another special session in the next couple of weeks.
