The Senate sponsor of a bill to allow some undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at Florida universities is promising to pass the legislation, if he can just get the Senate president to let him bring it up for a vote.
The House has already passed a bill to allow undocumented immigrants who attended four straight years of high school in Florida to pay the same state university tuition as ordinary residents of Florida. That can be as a little as 25% of what out of state applicants would pay.
The discount is to favor state residents who had been supporting the university system with their taxes. But Tampa Bay area Senator Jack Latvala says the distinction is meaningless in the case of many undocumented immigrants.
"They pay sales taxes, they pay gas taxes, they pay a myriad of other taxes as well", Latvala said. "So it's all to me about equity."
Latvala is sponsoring the Senate version of the bill, which still has three committees to pass. But he says the only real obstacle to passage is the opposition of Senate President Don Gaetz.
"I know I have the votes to pass this in the senate if we can just get a hearing on the floor", said Gaetz. "And that will be our challenge."
Governor Rick Scott is likely to sign the bill.
Meanwhile, a new poll from the University of North Florida says 50% of Floridians support in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, either strongly or somewhat. 40% are against it.