In a statewide election year when both parties are courting Florida’s growing Hispanic vote, the Legislature is debating giving in-state college tuition to young illegal immigrants known as "Dreamers."
Similar efforts have failed in the past decade in Tallahassee. But this year the proposal may have the support of Gov. Rick Scott, who has said he will consider the bill if it also contains a provision he wants, one that is unrelated to immigrants: prohibiting universities from raising tuition above the rate set by the Florida Legislature.
Democrats have portrayed Scott as anti-Hispanic after supporting an Arizona-style immigration law in 2010 and vetoing a bill that would have given Dreamers driver's licenses in 2013. Scott’s campaign also faced accusations by his former campaign finance chairman, Mike Fernandez, that some campaign staffers made fun of Mexican accents. In an April 9 press release, the Florida Democratic Party said the in-state tuition this year is election-year pandering.
The Republican Party of Florida fired back in an email with their own attack against Charlie Crist, the Democratic frontrunner for governor:
"Yesterday, Florida Democrats said it was time to ‘do what is right’ for Florida’s Hispanic community, regarding legislation that is moving through the Senate giving in-state college tuition to children brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents," April 10 the state party stated. "So where does the Florida Democratic Party’s own candidate stand on the issue? In 2006, Charlie Crist opposed in-state tuition for illegal immigrants."
We wanted to check Crist’s position on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2006 -- and in the following years. Turn to PolitiFact for the answers.
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