Florida’s Immigration Bill
State lawmakers stood up to Gov. Ron DeSantis and his insistence that the Legislature pass an immigration enforcement bill.
The House and Senate did pass a bill, but not the one the governor wanted. DeSantis has threatened to veto the version passed by members of his own political party.
We heard from the senator who sponsored the legislation.
Guest:
- Sen. Joe Gruters, R-District 22.
Federal spending freeze
President Donald Trump froze spending on thousands of programs. A day later, he rescinded his order. Also this week, the Trump administration sent a memo offering federal workers what it called “deferred resignation.” Workers would have until next week to decide if they want to quit in September.
To help us process these actions, we checked in with a member of Florida’s congressional delegation.
Guest:
- U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-10th Congressional District.
School start times
In Florida, most middle schools and high schools are supposed to change the time of their first bell beginning with the next school year. The mandate was meant to help students get more sleep, but lawmakers may rethink the law over concerns like after-school activities and getting stuck in more traffic.
Guests:
- Jude Bruno, president-elect of the Florida PTA.
- Jeff Solochek, education reporter for the Tampa Bay Times.
Dreamers’ in-state tuition
The Florida Legislature voted this week to cancel in-state tuition for DACA recipients, or “Dreamers.”
Established in 2012 by the Obama administration, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, has been a lifeline for thousands who arrived in the U.S. as children. WGCU’s Elizabeth Andarge takes us through one woman’s journey with DACA.