Senate Republicans Open to Keep In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

TALLAHASSEE—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator President Ben Albritton, and House Speaker Danny Perez are in the middle of an intra-party feud over the contentious issue of illegal immigration

With Senate Republicans looking to maneuver around Gov. DeSantis and pass a veto-proof immigration bill (S.B 2), could Senate Democrats help the Albritton faction of the state Senate defeat the Governor’s push to immediately cut off in-state tuition to illegal immigrants?

It appears that Republicans and Democrats in the state Senate have been trying to hammer out a deal to override Gov. DeSantis’s all but assured veto. In other other words, it looks like they are caving to the pressure.

Gov. DeSantis’s recent immigration proposal is hawkish.

And while the Albritton version is tough, it doesn’t appear to be as ridged as the Governor’s version.

Senate Democratic Minority Leader Sen. Jason Pizzo said in committee that he was open to supporting the current legislative measure, just as long as the in-state tuition portion of the bill was removed.

In speaking to The Floridian, Sen. Pizzo confirmed that there have been talks with Senate Republican leadership about striking a deal to make the bill veto-proof, and also confirmed that Senate Republicans appear open to the idea temporarily keeping in state tuition for illegal immigrants.

Pizzo also reiterated that the bill was a non-starter for him if the in-state tuition language was not taken out of the text of the bill, adding that if Republicans were to agree to leave the tuition text in the bill, and agreed to gradually end it, the bill would probably receive  2-3 Democratic votes.

Republicans hold the majority in both chambers of the state legislature, and have never needed Democrats to help them pass legislation, but this issue is different, and DeSantis seems to be a political enemy both Republicans and Democrats can rally against.