Attorney General Bill McCollum and Rep. William Snyder are expected this morning to unveil proposed new legislation on immigration that is modeled after the controversial Arizona law that has drawn popular support but is opposed by the administration of President Barack Obama.
The key question for McCollum - who will be in Orlando to make the announcement - is just how close this new bill follows past immigration legislation that has gone nowhere in the Florida Legislature.
Snyder and other lawmakers have said there is a need to push immigration changes. McCollum, who has come under fire from GOP rival Rick Scott for changing his stance on the Arizona law, has also said something needs to be done.
But it's worth noting that back in 2008 - when Marco Rubio was House speaker and McCollum was already in office - that a major immigration bill sponsored by former Rep. Gayle Harrell never it made it beyond a committee workshop.
HB 821 specifically states that "if a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a person arrested for a felony arrest is not legally present in the United States, the officer shall report that person to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the United States Department of Homeland Security."
The bill goes even further and states that correctional officers and judges who deal with a person arrested and convicted of felony must report them to federal authorities if they suspect them of being an illegal alien. The measure also requires law-enforcement agencies to provide notices to officers that it is their duty to cooperate with federal officials regarding enforcement. And the bill also directs Florida's Attorney General to "vigorously pursue" all opportunities for federal funds to reimburse the state for enforcing federal immigration laws.
The legislation, which was called unnecessary at the time by some Hispanic Republicans in the Legislature, also required verification of national identity in order to qualify for certain public benefits. The measure also required that if someone were arrested for a DUI that a "reasonable effort" be made in order to find out their citizenship status.
So the question is whether Florida lawmakers will now push for a bill that two years ago wasn't considered worthy enough to even vote for the first time. It will revive questions about Rubio's stance on immigration and whether he has altered them in connection with his run for the U.S. Senate.
Plus, it is also worth remembering that the Legislature this past session wound up rejecting immigration bills. The House, for example, approved a measure by Rep. Sandy Adams, that required contractors who work for the state to verify the citizenship status of their employees. The measure died because it was never taken up by the Florida Senate which is led by Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach and a candidate for chief financial officer.
(UPDATE - The bill that was unveiled is a bit different from the Harrell legislation although it does include similar language that was included in Adams' bill from this year. But the bill does mandate that law enforcement try to determine the immigration status of someone if they have "reasonable suspicion" that they are in this country illegally.
When asked why McCollum is unveiling the legislation now, a spokeswoman for McCollum said that he has been involved in immigration enforcement efforts during his time as Attorney General. Sandi Copes also defended the timing of presenting the bill now, saying the Arizona controversy has reinforced the public's desire to do something about immigration at this time.)
Comments