By Maria Desangles
Four LWVOC members worked with the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) and participated in difference actions in Tallahassee concerning the in-state tuition for all bill SB 106 and HB 81.
We arrived midday on Tuesday (Feb. 7) and took a workshop on strategy or getting the bill through the Senate and the House and who our targets were. The FLIC leaders decided that because we had such a big group, about 22 people, we could go visit Rep. Lopez-Cantera who is the House Majority Leader to move the bill (HB 81) from the committee it was in (that had already stopped meeting) to a different one where there would be a chance of a vote.
He would not meet with the group, the FLIC leaders (who had been trying to get a meeting with him for weeks) decided that it was time to put pressure on him and so the group staged a sit-in asking him to speak with us. He did end up speaking to us, but told us that he did not have the power to move the bill to a different committee.
One of the Leaders from FLIC who is a lawyer, knew the rules and clarified that as the House majority leader he actually did have the power to move the bill into a different committee. At 5 pm most of the group left, but some stayed behind still hoping to meet with him and convince him to do this. The Miami Herald came and interviewed Evelyn Rivera and him about in-state tuition.
Then on Wed (Feb. 8), we met with the FLIC leadership once again, and decided to concentrate on our targets in the Capitol. The Senate was in session between 9 am and 11 am, around 10:30 there was a recess and our group caught our different targets as they were coming in and out of the chamber. We spoke to Sen. David Simmons and gave him the information. He was not very friendly at first, but then warmed up to us and took our information. Then we met with Sen. John Thrasher who also greeted the group and took our information packets about the bill. Finally we met with Sen. Andy Gardiner who took our information packet, but did not want to meet any of us, or talk to us about the bill.
Afterwards we reported on the morning and began preparing signs for our news conference. Both Eli Garcia (LWVOC) and Evelyn Rivera (LWVOC) spoke and shared their stories at the news conference. Sen. Gary Siplin who introduced the bill also spoke at the press conference on behalf of the bill along with Rep. Hazel Rogers, Rep. Gwyndolen Clarke, Rep. Dwight Bullard. http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/240498/4/Debate-over-in-state-tuition-for-undocumented-immigrants
Then we broke for lunch and were debriefed on our afternoon strategy. We realized we had directly given packets and spoken to all of our Local (and key) representatives, so we took a vote and decided that we really needed to focus on Senate President Mike Haridopolis, since he has the power to move the bill directly from committee to the floor of the House. We went to his office and asked to meet with him. His secretary told us that it was not possible, we left her an information packet. We sat in his office, but then were asked to leave. Then we tried to visit Sen. Gardiner and spoke to his legislative aide. We talked to her about the bill and gave her the information packet, we asked her if we could wait to meet with him and she told us that we could, but then we were asked to leave.
The FLIC organizers met with Sen. Simmons Thursday (2/9) and they think that there is a chance that he will budge and vote yes on in-state tuition in the committee. So we are planning an action/press event on Monday at his Maitland office asking him to vote yes on in-state tuition. We are also sending him and Sen. Gardiner petitions that we have collected with a cover letter signed by the DREAM Rally organizations. In order for this bill to even have a chance of passing we really REALLY need the support of Sen. Haridopolis. Once it passes the Judiciary Committee, we are asking him to move the vote to the floor.
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