Bob SparksAnother legislative session is behind us. A host of bills, some more significant than others, await a signature and possibly a made-for-media signing ceremony by Gov. Rick Scott. With one party leading two branches of government, the governor’s veto pen will require precious little ink.
A surge in “member projects” (some say pork, some say turkeys) injected into this year’s record $77 billion budget means some line item vetoes are certain. How many is anyone’s guess.
Bills and budgets establish the records on which members of the Legislature run for re-election or are attacked by opponents. Bill numbers and catchy titles are spread over newspapers, radio programs and newscasts. It’s about who gained political advantage and who provided a target for a campaign torpedo.
As the Sine Die hankies headed for the floor on Friday, I was completing a 13-hour ordeal getting my elderly mother admitted to a local hospital after a fall at home. That experience puts bill numbers in their proper place. Here’s how.
What lawmakers do affects real people. One-word amendments can actually mean something to a person or family.
Friday’s ordeal at the emergency room provided me with plenty of time to read. People magazine carried no appeal. Golf Digest has never helped me with my fairway irons even though I did everything their tips say I should.
Instead, I read House Bill 851, or at least three committee substitutes for that bill. It’s officially titled Postsecondary Education Tuition and Fees, but is better known as the In-State Tuition for Illegals bill.
It contains other provisions such as tweaking the Florida Prepaid College plan and setting tuition rates and fees for veterans and other prospective students. The tuition for undocumented residents is addressed last. To qualify, students must live with parents or a guardian for three consecutive years and the last 12 months in Florida.
Republicans voiced strong opposition during the session to this concept. The word “amnesty” crept into the dialogue.
Here is where the images of real people come into play. Who is receiving amnesty? A 17-year-old student with good grades who wants to be a pharmacist? What did she do wrong?
How about the 18-year-old math whiz who wants to be an engineer? He broke no laws and could be tomorrow’s job creator.
Those who oppose HB 851 make a coherent argument about creating a magnet for illegals to sneak into the U.S. The hope of a good education for their kids can be an extra incentive for those seeking a better life.
But that argument withers under scrutiny. Too many other states are already allowing what Florida is poised to begin when the law takes effect on July 1.
Let’s also not forget this is about paying in-state tuition and not a free ride. Like so many other Floridians, illegal students likely will need to get loans and other aid to pay even in-state tuition.
No matter where you live, college is not cheap unless you’re a star student or a star athlete.
Despite broad support, the bill seemed dead until Speaker Will Weatherford used leverage to make it clear that the Senate needed to give it an up or down vote. The Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo wrote a fascinating article on this.
Nearly 50 years ago, Congress joined with President Lyndon B. Johnson to create Medicare. Roughly half of Republicans voted “no,” fearing “socialized medicine.” The takeaway: half voted “yes.”
As my mother went through that long Friday, the thought of seniors trying to pay for health care without Medicare truly hit home. What insurance company today would take them on?
Medicare was a godsend for seniors and families, but it is headed for insolvency. It is unlikely to affect me, but I want it there for my son and daughter.
Shouldn’t all of us want to ensure Medicare is there for our kids and grandkids? There are plans out there to save it, but none ever gets anywhere because it’s such a useful political tool against those trying to save it.
Republican leadership prioritized passing HB 851. Who among Florida’s Congressional Democrats will break with their party leadership and get something done to save Medicare?
If one thinks about how inaction will affect real people, it is much easier to do the right thing.
Bob Sparks is a Tallahassee-based business and political consultant. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
