Saying that Florida should “not reward criminal activity,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would have helped people who have been in prison keep their Florida resident status for higher-education tuition purposes.
Lawmakers passed the bill (SB 62) during the legislative session that ended in March, with the Senate unanimously approving it and the House voting 109-5 for it. The measure would have applied to people who otherwise met requirements to be classified as residents, such as maintaining legal Florida residence for 12 months before enrolling at colleges or universities.
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State law currently “does not specifically authorize or prohibit time incarcerated in a Florida prison” to count toward the year-long legal residency requirement, according to a Senate analysis of the bill.
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Students who meet residency requirements pay lower tuition than out-of-state students. But DeSantis criticized the bill in a veto letter released by his office Tuesday night.
“We should not reward criminal activity by providing inmates with the same benefits as law-abiding citizens,” the veto letter said.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which advocates for people released from prison, issued a statement that said it was “disappointed” in DeSantis’ veto of a bill that “sought to strengthen public safety, increase successful reentry, and stimulate Florida’s economy.”
The group said the bill was “poised to improve access to higher education by addressing the challenges of residency requirements, for tuition purposes, for those incarcerated and recently released people who are looking to improve their lives.”
