The in-state tuition bill that has received support from both Florida Republicans and Democrats hit a major roadblock Thursday night. Sen. Joe Negron, the senate budget chairman, said he would not add it to the agenda of the final meeting of the Senate appropriations committee. Negron’s move was backed by Senate President Don Gaetz.
Sen. Jack Latvala, the Clearwater Republican sponsoring the bill, said he was shocked that Negron and Gaetz are openly defying what the majority of the Senate wants. The bill would allow in-state tuition for those who attended a Florida high school three years before graduation, providing that any student seeking the tuition break could show proof that he or she had applied for citizenship. It received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, passing at 81-33.
“What he has done is a slap in the face to our governor, who’s already announced support for this bill,” Latvala told the Associated Press. “And it’s a slap in the face for the speaker who put a lot on the line. It’s a slap in the face to Jeb Bush, who had been taking fire from right wing Republicans across the country because he spoke of his convictions on immigration.”
The Miami Herald reported “Gaetz fretted that it could subsidize education for those who hail from countries that are ‘caldrons of terrorism and anti-American violence.’”
Gaetz’s racist statement shows a disturbing disconnect between himself and the students who would benefit from this bill. His fantasy that those who would gain in-state tuition have some kind of anti-American agenda is simply ludicrous.
It’s also a spectacularly stupid move on Gaetz and Negron’s part: Florida voters will be hard-pressed to support a party that’s as fractured as the Florida GOP right now. Scott has clearly aligned himself with the bill. Of course, that’s an entirely different can of worms: According to the Associated Press, “Scott’s turnabout is a vast change from 2010 when he urged a strong crackdown on illegal immigration. Scott’s move comes during an election year when Hispanic voters could play a key role in deciding his re-election.”
The fact that members of his own party are turning on the measure speaks to the ability of Florida Republican lawmakers to effectively govern this state.
Despite all the dirty politicking surrounding the in-state tuition bill, education equality should remain a top priority for Florida lawmakers. As a spokeswoman for UF’s chapter of the Hispanic Students Association told the Alligator last week, the conflict lies in these particular two legislators’ failure to represent their constituents’ needs.
It’s a stretch, but we hope Florida politicians can resolve the conflict before this 60-day lawmaking session comes to a close on May 2.
But then again, as Republican political consultant Fred Piccolo said, “Never underestimate the GOP’s ability to take a conservative winnable moment and blow it.”
[A version of this editorial ran on page 6 on 4/21/2014 under the headline "SB 1400 blocked, Florida Legislature is a mess"]
