Nearly a dozen bills have been filed ahead of the start of the Florida legislature’s special session. The measures seek to fulfill Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to help President Donald Trump’s administration crack down on illegal immigration, and DeSantis’ efforts to curb citizen-led ballot initiatives. The moves come after state legislative leaders initially said DeSantis’ call for a special session was “premature.”
Those same leaders reversed course on Friday, issuing a notice that lawmakers will convene Monday as ordered.
“As we are constitutionally required, the Florida Senate and House of Representatives will convene in special session on Monday, January 27th at 10:30 a.m. in our respective chambers. Please ensure your travel arrangements allow for your attendance. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our offices. We look forward to seeing you in Tallahassee,” House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton said in a joint statement.
Under Florida’s constitution, the governor has the authority to call the legislature back to Tallahassee. Special session calls can also be issued through a joint order from the House Speaker and Senate President. DeSantis issued the original order for special session on Jan. 13, ahead of President Trump’s inauguration. During a press conference with reporters in Tallahassee, DeSantis said he wanted to effectively get a jump-start on the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown. However, Perez and Albritton responded that since they had no specific policy directives from the Administration, a special session would be premature.
DeSantis meanwhile, unveiled several proposals advancing his directives. Among them: ending in-state tuition for undocumented-immigrant students known as dreamers; granting more power to local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws and initiatives; and change the way citizen-led ballot initiatives can be approved and rejected. That proposal has the practical effect of making it harder for such proposals to get onto the ballot, and easier for the state to reject them. It comes after two constitutional amendment proposals—one that would have lofted the state’s six-week abortion limit and another to legalize recreational marijuana—were narrowly rejected by voters in November.
The 11 bills are sponsored by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa. The companion measures are backed by Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach and Rep. John Temple, R-Wildwood.
