President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday thanked Gov. Ron DeSantis for calling a special legislative session to address immigration and other issues, after state House and Senate leaders criticized the session as “premature.”
DeSantis issued a proclamation Monday calling lawmakers into session starting Jan. 27. The special session could last through Jan. 31.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
DeSantis said the session is needed, in part, to take steps for the state to help carry out Trump’s planned crackdown on illegal immigration.
“Thank you Ron, hopefully other Governors will follow!” Trump said in a post Tuesday on Truth Social.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
DeSantis also wants lawmakers to use the special session to address issues that have driven up costs for condominium owners, change a ballot-initiative process, help the agricultural industry and residents recovering from hurricanes and replenish funding for a popular home-hardening program.
But Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, indicated Monday they want to wait until the regular session, which will start March 4, to address the issues.
"As you know, this Legislature will address illegal immigration, condominiums, petition initiatives and hurricane recovery this (regular) session, which starts in 50 days," Albritton and Perez said in a joint memo to lawmakers. "Calling a special session at this time is premature."
Local
The memo also said, "Florida’s Constitution compels our attendance at a special session unilaterally called by the governor. However, the power to convene a special session also resides with the presiding officers. As the people’s elected representatives, the Legislature, not the governor, will decide when and what legislation we consider."
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, a former Senate president, said he expects the governor, Perez and Albritton will work out their differences.
“I think the governor and the speaker and the president will get together and figure that out,” Simpson told reporters. “It is awfully close to session, so you can think, 'Well, why two weeks before session or three weeks?' Whatever it is … clearly, there's some things that are at play that may need to be addressed. But that’s really for those presiding officers and the governor.”