DeSantis’ 2020 priorities: Teacher pay boost, E-Verify

TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared that boosting salaries for teachers and requiring businesses to check the immigration status of potential hires through E-Verify among his top priorities for the 2020 legislative session.

But he likely faces an uphill battle to get them through the Legislature.

House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, a fiscal hawk, has had a lukewarm reaction to DeSantis’ proposal to increase the minimum salary for teachers to $47,500, something DeSantis acknowledged.

“Jose is principled. He does not like spending money on anything, and I respect the hell out of him,” DeSantis told reporters in the Capitol during an annual media event hosted by the Associated Press.

And while the Senate is generally more amenable to DeSantis’ request, his plan’s $603 million price tag could make it difficult to get through that chamber, too.

Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, said he supports the concept of a pay increase for some teachers to address the teacher shortage plaguing districts across the state, but projected budget shortfalls in future years mean budget writers need to be cautious before approving such a large boost in the budget.

“We cannot make a commitment to a specific number at this point until we fully understand where we are budget wise (and) how the mechanics of (DeSantis’ plan) work,” Galvano said.

DeSantis also reiterated his plan to push E-Verify as a requirement for businesses. It was part of his campaign platform, but he opted to put most of his political capital behind efforts to pass legislation to ban sanctuary cities in his first year in office.

“We had a big win with doing the sanctuary cities legislation; we want to build off that momentum,” DeSantis said. “The best way to help deter illegal immigration is to pursue E-Verify, so we are going to be doing that. I think that will end up saving taxpayers money and obviously it’ll be a deterrent for people to come illegally.”

E-Verify is a federal program that checks the citizenship and immigration status of prospective employees.

DeSantis isn’t the first Republican governor to push for E-Verify requirements for businesses, with penalties for those found not in compliance. His predecessor, Rick Scott, tried to get an E-Verify bill passed in 2011, his first year in office, but the bill failed in the face of pressure from agri-business interests and immigration activists and he didn’t pursue it again.

The bill failed to gain traction last year, and the same pressures from the agriculture industry could foil the bill’s chances again.

“It was a problem last year, and it will be a problem this year,” said Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat, who added that it would put an unneeded burden on farmers.

The bill has been filed by two powerful GOP senators — Tom Lee of Thonotosassa and Joe Gruters of Sarasota, who is also the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. But the issue has split the GOP in the past, as some in the party side with farmers and big business while others take a hard line on illegal immigration.

“E-Verify … is a difficult issue for the Legislature,” Galvano said. “I suspect there’ll be a robust debate, but the case is going to have to be made before it passes, and it is not guaranteed.”

The 60-day legislative session begins Jan. 14.