SAVED - UP TO 2,000 COLLEGE SLOTS FOR CHILDREN OF CITIZENS AND IMMIGRANTS

STOPPED - FLORIDA DRIVER'S LICENSES TO POTENTIAL TERRORISTS AND DRIVER'S PERMITS TO CRIMINAL CUBANS

WE WON!  The Florida Session ended last night, Friday May 6, 2005 with the two bills we opposed dying in committee.

Victory # 1 - HB1147/SB2040 would have provided Florida driver's licenses to potential terrorists and driver's permits to criminal Cubans.  The bills sailed through various committees but did not get to either the House or Senate floor.  Even though the bill was much smaller in scale than the driver's license for illegal aliens bill that was stopped last year, the bill had the same basic flaw and that is that the federal government can not adequately check backgrounds of those that apply for the license.  Plus the bill would have created a special driver's license for criminals based on country of origin.  Had the bill passed every ethnic group in Florida would claim discrimination because if criminal Cubans can get driver's permits why can't our 'law-abiding immigrants' get them. 

Victory # 2 - HB119/SB226 would have provided college tuition subsidy for up to 2,000 illegal aliens who had passed high school and who had resided in Florida for three years.  The politically correct term is "in-state tuition."  Had the bill passed, scare educational funds would have been shifted from the education of children of citizens and immigrants (legal by definition) as no new taxes were included to pay for the illegal alien college costs.  Further, the state of Florida possibly would have to provide in-state tuition rates to every citizen and immigrant in the US if the state were to lose a legal challenge.  FAIR now has an in-state tuition legal challenge in Kansas.  Had the bill passed, the illegal aliens college educated at our expense could not legally get a job.

Thanks  to all of the activists who called, emailed, or faxed Florida officials.  The concern transmitted by citizens provides far better access than any lobbyist contribution.