Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session to deal with immigration, condo law and other issues. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on January 13, 2025 at 5:43 pm
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Saying the issue can’t wait for the regular legislative session in March, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he’s calling lawmakers into a special session this month to mesh Florida’s immigration policies with a crackdown planned by President-elect Donald Trump.
DeSantis also wants lawmakers to use the special session to address issues that have driven up costs for condominium owners, change a ballot-initiative process, help the agricultural industry and residents recovering from hurricanes and replenish funding for a popular home-hardening program. The special session will be held the week of Jan. 27, he said.
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House and Senate Republican leaders did not immediately respond to DeSantis’ plan. But in recent months, they have expressed skepticism about holding a special session on issues such as condominiums.
During a news conference Monday at the Capitol, DeSantis focused heavily on immigration issues, including Trump’s plans to deport people who are in the country illegally.
“States and local officials in Florida must help the Trump administration enforce our nation’s immigration law,” DeSantis said. “And we are going to need, in order to do that effectively, we are going to need legislation to impose additional duties on local officials and provide funding for those local officials.”
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DeSantis said he will request “tens of millions” of dollars to help local law enforcement agencies. He also said he might use the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard and would hold local officials accountable if they are viewed as “neglecting their duties.”
But some Democrats quickly blasted DeSantis.
“Immigrants are essential to Florida’s economy, contributing to key industries like tourism, agriculture and construction,” Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said in a prepared statement. “Targeting these communities isn’t just cruel — it’s bad for business.”
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried described DeSantis’ call as a “publicity stunt.”
“For what seems like the thousandth time, he’s doing everything he can to remain relevant, instead of taking steps to make life more affordable for the people of Florida,” Fried said in a statement.
Trump will be sworn in Jan. 20, and he is expected to quickly issue executive orders about immigration. DeSantis has long criticized the Biden administration’s handling of border issues and drew national attention in 2022 when Florida flew a group of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
“We need to act, and we need to act quickly,” DeSantis said during the morning news conference.
Representatives of House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, had not responded to requests for comment as of late Monday afternoon.
The 60-day regular legislative session will begin March 4.
Lawmakers will be in Tallahassee this week and next week for committee meetings but had been scheduled to be in their districts the week of Jan. 27.
Immigration issues
As part of addressing immigration issues, DeSantis wants lawmakers to repeal a 2014 law signed by then-Gov. Rick Scott that allows undocumented immigrant students to avoid higher out-of-state tuition rates at colleges and universities if they meet certain criteria. The students need to have attended a secondary school in Florida for three consecutive years immediately before graduating from high school and must apply to a college or university within two years of graduation.
DeSantis called in-state tuition for the students, known as “dreamers,” a benefit and a lingering “incentive” for undocumented immigrants.
“We’ve tried to work with the Legislature to get that repealed in the past,” DeSantis said. “It’s something that always seems to fall out of the bill. No more excuses on this.”
Albritton told reporters last month that he favored a gradual approach to ending the program. That approach would take into account students who already receive the assistance or are in the process of preparing for college.
Sen. Randy Fine, a Brevard County Republican who is running in a special election for a congressional seat, quickly announced Monday he would file a bill for the special session to repeal the tuition-assistance law. He had already filed such a bill (SB 90) for the regular session.
“I am excited that as I prepare to leave the Legislature for Congress, we will be able to work together to get this done,” Fine said in a statement. “It is immoral that Americans from the other 49 states pay more to attend Florida’s colleges and universities than illegal immigrants.”
Fine estimated the repeal would cut about a $45 million subsidy for undocumented students.
Condominium laws
DeSantis didn’t offer a detailed outline of legislation to address the condominium issues. He previously said it was up to the Legislature to address significant increases in assessments that residents face on top of homeowners association fees. At least some of the higher costs are related to laws passed after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside that killed 98 people.
Lawmakers have argued that the lesson from Surfside was that many condo buildings were in need of critical upgrades but that associations had inadequate reserves to cover the costs.
Lawmakers in 2022 passed a measure aimed at requiring condominium associations to have adequate reserves for repairs. Also, the bill set requirements for inspections of condominium buildings that are three stories or higher.
Any “substantial structural deterioration” found by engineers or architects would require more-detailed inspections. Association boards were also required to have “structural integrity reserve” studies to determine how much money should be set aside.
The law was tweaked in 2023, and the Legislature this year passed a measure that targeted wrongdoing by members of association boards.
Petition drives
DeSantis also wants to make changes in the process of collecting petitions to put proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. He led successful efforts in November to defeat ballot proposals on abortion rights and recreational marijuana.
“The citizen initiative (process) has really been transformed into a special interest initiative,” DeSantis said.
Lawmakers and DeSantis in recent years banned a longstanding practice of amendment backers paying petition gatherers based on the number of signatures they collect. They also required petition forms to include information identifying petition gatherers, who are required to register with the state.
DeSantis on Monday also indicated he wants to add money to the popular My Safe Florida Home program, which offers inspections and grants up to $10,000 to help residents upgrade homes and qualify for property-insurance discounts. Days after the state’s fiscal year started July 1, $200 million for the program was already exhausted.
