Florida Lawmakers Stand Up to Governor, Plan Their Own Session

Florida’s legislative leaders didn’t waste any time in rebelling against Governor Ron DeSantis. Within minutes of DeSantis's special session call, Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez shut it down and announced their own session. DeSantis had called for the session to push President Trump’s immigration policies, but Albritton and Perez saw it as a stunt. They believed special sessions should only be used for urgent issues that can’t wait until the regular session. Albritton and Perez decided their session would focus on immigration, but also override some of DeSantis’s budget vetoes. They trusted Trump’s leadership and believed their session would better serve Florida. Just half an hour later, they started their own special session. While DeSantis initially criticized their move, he later praised their bill for including his proposals. Some lawmakers, like Republican State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, didn’t agree with the way things were handled. Others, like Republican State Sen. Randy Fine, criticized DeSantis’s original session call. Democratic State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith was uncertain if this session would lead to real changes but praised the legislature for asserting its independence.