The Florida 2025 legislative session will commence Tuesday with Florida lawmakers in the House and Senate set to address a range of pressing issues.
Immigration remains a key focus, following a special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January.
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During the special session in January, it was anticipated that President Donald Trump would issue executive orders regarding immigration, prompting Florida lawmakers to draw up bills to align with the president’s directives.
However, the session took an unexpected turn when legislators ended the governor’s special session and initiated their own. House Speaker Danny Perez expressed concerns that the governor’s proclamation was too narrow to meet the president’s needs.
Despite these challenges, the legislature passed legislation aimed at curbing illegal immigration with DeSantis' support. However, the discussion on immigration is far from over, with several bills on the agenda for the current session.
Key Immigration Bills:
- HB 891: Introduced by Rep. Lauren Melo of Naples, this bill is a companion to Sen. Joe Gruters' SB 1258. Both bills propose that state-issued IDs include an indication of whether an individual is a citizen or not.
- SB 782: Championed by Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo of North Miami, this bill has bipartisan support from Republican Senator Gruters. It seeks to require all private employers to use the E-Verify system to verify new employees' employment eligibility.
As the legislative session progresses, these bills will be closely watched by constituents and stakeholders across Florida. The outcomes of these discussions could have significant implications for the state’s immigration policies and enforcement measures.
