Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
DeSantis signs migration relocation, election police bills
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed bills to expand his migrant relocation program and enhance the power of his election police unit, furthering key components of his agenda ahead of his expected White House run.
On Thursday, the governor signed another bill that allows universities to help with Name, Likeness and Image deals for their athletes. The measure is meant to help Florida compete with other states in the NIL arena.
Republican lawmakers in the GOP-dominated Legislature voted to approve the bills during a special session last week.
The migrant law creates a dedicated $10 million program in the governor’s office for migrant relocations and specifies that the state can move migrants from anywhere in the country, not just Florida.
The legislation is meant to quell legal questions that have surrounded a flight last year that the governor’s administration used to relocate a group of South American migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. The trip was paid for using money legally intended to move migrants in Florida, not other states.
The program is almost certain to result in future migrant flights as DeSantis continues a focus on cultural flashpoints such as immigration, as well as his constant criticism of the policies of Democratic President Joe Biden, on his way to an anticipated presidential bid.
Republicans have argued the program would help migrants by taking them to what they call “sanctuary cities.” Democrats slammed it as a political stunt meant to serve the governor’s national political ambitions.
The other bill signed by the governor clarifies that the statewide prosecutor has the authority to prosecute election crimes in federal and state races, a move aimed at strengthening DeSantis’ election police unit.
DeSantis pushed for the creation of the election police unit last year to address Republican concerns about voter fraud, even though the governor declared Florida’s vote went smoothly.
Some of the 20 voter fraud cases tied to the unit have been dismissed by judges who said the statewide prosecutor did not have jurisdiction to bring charges.
Democrats, the minority party in the statehouse, have said the election police unit could dissuade people from voting and is unnecessary given that local authorities can investigate such crimes.