TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (WSVN) - Lawmakers in Tallahassee are considering a series of bills during day two of the legislative session that touch on many aspects of Floridians’ lives, from immigration to abortion and artificial intelligence.
On the immigration front, the issue has been a lightning rod for legislators since a fatal crash on the Florida Turnpike involving an undocumented driver took the lives of three people.
“An American citizenship matters, and it should be something that we revere and value,” said Senate President Ben Albritton, a Republican from Bartow.
One of the bills being considered is Senate Bill 86, sponsored by State Sen. Don Gaetz, a Republican from Pensacola, which would require a police officer to detain an unauthorized immigrant with a commercial driver’s license and transfer them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
Other bills up for debate include requiring all employers to use E-Verify, a federal database that checks workers’ immigration status; holding companies liable for injuries to undocumented workers; requiring police to verify immigration status when investigating a car crash; and denying some state benefits and licenses to undocumented workers, as well as translation services.
Republicans say it is the state’s way to continue its crackdown on illegal immigration.
“Florida has led the way on cracking down on illegal immigration and making sure that our communities are safer, and that’s why you’re going to continue to see this legislative session more measures on cracking down on some of the incentives that these illegal immigrants have,” said State Rep. Juan Porras, a Republican from Miami.
Albritton said he’s supportive of the actions being debated, but not all may pass.
“And I’ve said I’m not king of the senate, but I’m supportive of these actions,” he said.
Other bills would require proof of citizenship for new voters and display citizenship status on people’s driver’s licenses.
Democrats say the citizenship requirement is too much, as a similar process is already followed when a new voter registers.
“What is the point? If they have status and they were able to achieve or receive a license here in the state of Florida, that means that they’ve already been cross-referenced and checked,” said State Rep. Ashley Gantt, a Democrat from Miami. “The Department of State that issues the voter registration card cross-checks with federal and state agencies to ensure that this person is a citizen.”
Democrats are also pushing to end the governor’s ongoing immigration state of emergency, which has been renewed 19 times, and are proposing the creation of a database for those incarcerated in detention centers across the state.
These immigration bills are just a few of the over 1,000 bills filed in this session.
Another bill, House Bill 663, looks to allow members of a woman’s family, including the father of the unborn child, to sue someone who provided her with or helped her obtain an abortion, even if she consented.
Critics say if the bill becomes law, there could be dramatic consequences.
“If a rapist who doesn’t have that parental rights terminated and something happens to the fetus, they have the ability to continue to revictimize their victim,” said Gantt.
But supporters say it is the right path.
“We can’t make the law based on what a bad actor may or may not do. We have to contemplate what the vast majority of the cases would be, and this would be a parent, sibling, the father of the unborn child, who most often than not is not a rapist,” said Florida Voice for the Unborn Executive Director Andrew Shirvell.
Another bill, House Bill 657, would, under certain conditions, allow homeowner’s associations to be dissolved and disputes to be heard in a specially designed court.
“People are absolutely frustrated and have nowhere to turn to when they have to deal with a homeowner’s association. People come to my office, law enforcement, I’ve even heard people call 911,” said Porras.
Looking at another bill, Senate Bill 482, dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights, would protect an individual’s likeness and data and place restrictions on resource-draining AI power centers.
Two of those centers have been the focus of community fights in Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.
During his state-of-the-state address, Gov. Ron DeSantis touched on the topic of technology.
“We welcome technologies that enhance the human experience, but not those purporting to supplant it,” he said.
Porras said every bill introduced gets revised along the way before eventually becoming law.
“No bill in the legislature goes from its original language all the way to the end. I’m hoping to make sure that we have a robust debate and make sure we get it right, not just for Floridians, but for everyone,” he said.
All bills introduced need to go through various steps before ultimately being voted on by the full House and the Senate and sent to DeSantis for his signature.
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