Last week (3/11) I sent a communication titled: 

IT IS TIME TO MAKE CONTACT – SMASH Florida College Tuition Subsidies for Illegal Aliens

UPDATE

THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT HAPPENED IN TALLAHASSEE on Thursday, the 13th.

NO TUITION FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
Tell Fla. State Officials to Oppose In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

You can find the original message in the blog section of the website under the DISCUSSION tab

March 13 was a Bad Day in Tally for FL Colleges *2

Thursday, March the 13th, 2014 was a Bad Day in Tallahassee for Florida Colleges for two reasons;

1. Governor Rick Scott declared his support for SB1600, the Senate version of College Tuition Subsidies for Illegal Aliens.       

   Keep calling Governor Scott at 850-488-7146 and tell him he has flip flopped on immigration and that he should not sign any bill that comes to his desk.    

2. The Florida House Appropriations Committee passed HB851 on March 13, 2014 by a vote of 19-7:

AGAINST HB851
(Against displacement of legal students.
You should thank them.)

Albritton, Ben [R] (850) 717-5056

Corcoran, Richard [R] (850) 717-5037

Grant, James W. "J.W." [R] (850) 717-5064

Hudson, Matt [R] (850) 717-5080

Ingram, Clay [R] (850) 717-5001

McBurney, Charles [R] (850) 717-5016

Steube, W. Gregory "Greg" [R] (850) 717-5073

FOR HB851
(For displacement of legal students.
You should blast them.)

Baxley,Dennis K. {R} (850) 717-5023

Coley, Marti [R] (850) 717-5005

Crisafulli, Steve [R] (850) 717-5051

Cruz, Janet [D] (850) 717-5062

Fresen, Erik [R] (850) 717-5114

Fullwood, Reggie [D] (850) 717-5013

Gibbons, Joseph A. "Joe" [D] (850) 717-5100

Gonzalez, Eduardo "Eddy" [R] (850) 717-5111

Hooper, Ed [R] (850) 717-5067

Jones, Mia L. [D] (850) 717-5014

McKeel, Seth [R] (850) 717-5040

O'Toole, H. Marlene [R] (850) 717-5033

Pafford, Mark S. [D] (850) 717-5086

Patronis, Jimmy [R] (850) 914-6300

Rogers, Hazelle P. "Hazel" [D] (850) 717-5095

Rouson, Darryl Ervin [D] 850) 717-5070

Stafford, Cynthia A. [D] (850) 717-5109

Williams, Alan B. [D] (850) 717-5008

Young, Dana D. [R] (850) 717-5060

With passage thru the Florida House Appropriations Committee the Bill is ready for a full HOUSE VOTE and then we can expect the Senate to begin moving on this issue.

ACTION

It is time to contact your House Representatives ( Contact information at the end of this message.) and tell them NO on the passage of this bill. Information is provided below to assist you in your message.

Talking Points are provided below to add to your message

The bottom line nationally is that illegal immigration continues to hurt American families, take away jobs and depress wages of fathers and mothers who desperately want to support their children without going on welfare.

The bottom line here in Florida is HB851/SB1400 will cause an unknown number of legal students to be displaced from college by illegal alien students. There is absolutely no estimate of the fiscal cost of college tuition subsidy for illegal aliens. There will not be any real discussion on the negative aspects of college tuition subsidies for illegal aliens unless citizens make the case against the displacement of their children's College Dream.

FLIMEN: FLoridians for IMmigration ENforcement.  Is a group of concerned Floridians advocating for immigration enforcement.... You can visit their site at www.FLIMEN.ORG

FLIMEN can provide information but it will take irate citizens to stop this travesty to legal students!
Please call officials, write letters to papers and raise the issue at political meetings!

Excellent Read (Short)
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/03/immigrant-tuit...:

THE VOTE

"The 19-7 vote was closer than some observers expected."

FLIMEN Note: The quote below deals with the creation of deceitful legal language in an attempt to bypass the federal law against giving reduced rates to special groups but not to all US citizens. In other words, instead of legally granting in-state tuition rates the Florida Legislature and Governor will in effect be giving scholarships to illegal aliens which will be called "partial tuition waivers".
"On Thursday, Senate Education Committee Chairman John Legg said he and Latvala were working on revisions to the proposal. For example, instead of allowing undocumented students to be considered "residents for tuition purposes," the bill would grant partial tuition waivers to undocumented students."

FLIMEN Note: The quote below seems to be mostly folly. If Senators Legg and Latvala don't want legal students to be displaced then they should have the guts and principles to oppose SB1400. The only other solution would be for Senators Legg and Latvala to raise an unknown amount of taxes from an unknown source to fund an unknown number of college slots that will be taken over by an unknown number of illegal alien students.
"Legg and Latvala were also working on language that would make sure no Florida residents were displaced by undocumented students."

FLIMEN Note: The quote below deals with a core issue that is seldom discussed. Senator Baxley naively accepts the premise that residency is more important than citizenship, a trend that is becoming commonplace especially among Democrats. Senator Baxley, aren't you saying that the rule of law, legal students and citizenship are trumped by residency? Michael Cutler correctly has declared that USA is already in a state of 'immigration anarchy.' When residency trumps legality and citizenship, aren't we heading faster in that direction?
"I struggled voting for this," said Baxley, who represents a conservative district in Central Florida. "But if you live in Florida, you should pay in-state tuition."

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/florida-republicans-democrats...:

FLIMEN Note: The quote below deals with the Democratic reaction to Governor Scott's support of SB1400. Governor Scott, if your position is interpreted as pandering which it will be given your millions in pro-enforcement campaign ads, won't the benefits of pandering accrue mainly, if not only, to the biggest panderer and might significant numbers from your angry base go fishing on election day?
"For three years, Rick Scott hasn't been treating young, undocumented immigrants like people -- now, he's treating them like political pawns," said Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison Tant.

http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=36822544:
FLIMEN Note: Wow, congratulations Rep. Jamie Grant for fully understanding the issue and for voting to protect the rightful college slots of legal college students!!
"Of the House bill, Rep. Jamie Grant, R-Tampa, said he voted no because the bill needed some work.

"There are a finite number of seats in a state university; there's some with a finite number of seats for in-state tuition," Grant said. "When I look at people at home - the people who sent me up here, how do I look at them and say in the most surgical manner possible balance both sides of those concerns to make sure that every child does have an opportunity that we're describing.""

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2014/03/13/the-gop-and-rick-scott...:

"It's not entirely clear what Scott is up to, but this has the feel of an election-year conversion that is more likely to anger right-wing opponents of immigration than it will entice Hispanic voters to vote for him. If so and if Scott winds up losing to the former Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Crist, then it is likely that conservatives will blame it on the governor's lack of principles rather than on faulty policies."

"Given the desire of conservatives to turn out to send a message to Washington against President Obama and especially ObamaCare, perhaps it's smart politics for Scott to risk a backlash from conservatives. But his decision to break down and start mending fences with those who want a softer approach to illegal immigration has an air of desperation about it."
Appropriations Committee Video Link:
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/VideoPlayer.aspx?eventID=2443575804_2...

FLIMEN Note: Waste of time as there was no real debate on the issue because Republicons wimped out. Rep. Nunez trashed opponents of her bill (13:47) as a "boisterous minority" who spread "false and misleading information." She claimed the issue was "not about immigration."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talking Points:

* State you oppose HB851/SB1400 because it provides more benefits for illegal aliens while immigration laws are still so blatantly not enforced.

* Ask the Representative, Senator or Governor how many legal students will be displaced illegal alien students. Throw out some numbers like 5K, 50K, 100K.
The answer is unknown because Staff Analysis states "The fiscal impact is indeterminate as it is difficult to identify the number of students who meet the criteria outlined in the bill."
* Ask the Representative, Senator or Governor how much it will cost to subsidize college tuition for illegal aliens. Throw out some numbers like, $50 million, $500 million, $1 billion.
The answer is unknown because Staff Analysis states "The fiscal impact is indeterminate as it is difficult to identify the number of students who meet the criteria outlined in the bill."

FLIMEN Note 1: HB851/SB1400 also includes two other provisions that FLIMEN does not necessarily oppose but when a bill contains provisions as egregious as HB851 then it makes sense to oppose the entire bill. FLIMEN does not object to in-state tuition rates for citizens (via birthright citizenship) or veterans but strenuously objects to in-state tuition for non-citizens ("undocumented immigrants").

FLIMEN Note 2: The Staff Analysis clearly states that federal law prohibits reduced tuition rates for any group unless reduced tuition rates are extended to all US citizens. The deceitful wording of the HB851/SB1400 as well as tuition policies of several Florida state-funded colleges use deceitful wording in an attempt to bypass federal law.

March 14, 2014

FLORDIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

District 11 Rep. Janet Adkins (Nassau & Part of Duval)

 Phone (850) 717-5011 or (904) 491-3664 or (904) 246-0532

313 House Office Building, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

905 S. 8th St., Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 or

11 North 3^rd St., Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250, Email to Janet.Adkins@myfloridahouse.gov

 

District 12 Rep. Lake Ray (Part of Duval) Phone (850) 717-5012 or (904) 723-5300

402 House Office Building, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

1615 Huffingham Rd., Suite 1, Jacksonville, FL 32216, Email to Lake.Ray@myfloridahouse.gov

 

District 13 Rep. Reggie Fullwood (Part of Duval) (850) 717-5013 or (904) 353-2180

1401 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

101 E. Union St., Suite 402, Jacksonville, FL 32202, Email to Reggie.Fullwood@myfloridahouse.gov

 

District 14 Rep. Mia Jones (Part of Duval) Phone (850) 717-5014 or (904) 924-1615

316 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

3890 Dunn Ave., Suite 901, Jacksonville, FL 32218, Email to Mia.Jones@myfloridahouse.gov

 

District 15 Rep. Daniel Davis (Part of Duval) Phone (850) 717-5015 or (904) 381-6011

204 House Office Building, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

4000 St. Johns Ave., Suite 13D, Jacksonville, FL 32205, Email to Daniel.Davis@myfloridahouse.gov

 

District 16 Rep. Charles McBurney (Part of Duval) Phone (850) 717-5016 or (904) 359-6090

222 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

76 South Laura St., Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32202, Email to Charles.McBurney@myfloridahouse.gov

 

District 17 Rep. Ronald Renuart (Part of St. Johns) Phone (850) 717-5017 or (904) 273-4466

204 House Office Bldg., 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

814 A1A North, Suite 307, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Email to Ronald.Renuart@myfloridahouse.gov

 

District 18 Rep. W. Travis Cummings (Part of Clay) Phone (850) 717-5018 or (904) 278-5761

1102 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300 or

580 Wells Rd., Suite 2, Orange Park, FL 32073, Email to Travis.Cummings@myfloridahouse.gov

 

Dist 24 Rep. Travis Hutson (Flagler, Part St Johns/Volusia) Phone 850 717-5024 or 386 446-7644

1102 The Capitol, 402 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee, FL 32399 or

4875 Palm Coast Parkway Northwest, Unit 5, Palm Coast, FL 32137,

Complete email form at: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov  for Rep. Hutson

For Representatives not listed above:

Find your Florida State Representatives here:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/representati...

There are four more action items coming over the next few days. I do no predict any slowing of our work..

Thank you for your continued support on this and all issues.

God Bless You and May God Bless Our America.

Leanne