GOP Power Struggle & UWF’s Fate

A dramatic political showdown has unfolded in Florida’s capital as Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged to veto an immigration enforcement bill passed by his fellow Republicans, exposing deep rifts within the state’s GOP and marking a significant shift in the power dynamics of Florida politics.

The battle may boil over to Pensacola, where the community has been shocked by the governor’s heavy-handed takeover of the University of West Florida Board of Trustees—a powerplay that resulted in the election of a Boise State professor as board chair.

TRUMP ACT TIFF

The conflict began when DeSantis called lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a special session on immigration enforcement. The manner of his summons immediately created friction. House Speaker Daniel Perez revealed that DeSantis left him a voicemail about the session and announced it publicly just eight minutes later without waiting for a response.

“When I tell you that this could have been avoided if communication were an option, it’s not a fallacy. It’s reality,” Perez told reporters, highlighting the breakdown of the relationship between the governor’s office and legislative leadership.

The Legislature responded by passing its own version of immigration reform, the “TRUMP Act. ” This bill would allocate nearly $500 million for enforcement and notably transfer significant immigration oversight powers from DeSantis to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. It also increases penalties for undocumented immigrants who commit crimes and ends in-state tuition rates for undocumented students.

DeSantis, who has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his political identity since losing the Republican presidential nomination to Donald Trump, condemned the legislation as “weak” and “pathetic” during appearances in Titusville and Fort Myers.

“What you’ve seen, there’s a difference between having a Republican majority and a conservative majority,” DeSantis declared. “They’re moving the Republicans in the Legislature left.”

Legislative leaders forcefully pushed back against the governor’s criticism. “Threatening others to get your way isn’t leadership; it’s immaturity. The people of our state deserve better,” Perez declared on the House floor. The bill passed with votes of 82-30 in the House and 21-16 in the Senate.

Senator Joe Gruters, a close Trump ally who sponsored and worked with the White House on the bill, defended the legislation’s conservative credentials. “This is the strongest bill that’s ever been passed anywhere in the country. This gives the president all the tools he needs in support of his executive orders and what he’s trying to do.”

WANING POWER

The political drama has been further complicated by the shadow of former President Donald Trump, with both sides claiming to be acting in support of his immigration agenda.

Simpson, who would gain significant powers under the new bill, pointed to DeSantis’s failed presidential bid in criticizing the governor. Posting on social media, he wrote, “I’m not the one who opposed and ran against President Trump.”

State Senator Randy Fine, one of DeSantis’s sharpest Republican critics, easily won the GOP primary to replace Congressman Mike Waltz on Tuesday. He suggested the governor’s influence has waned significantly. While DeSantis has engaged party resources and deployed his communications staff to attack GOP lawmakers, Fine urged colleagues not to bow to the pressure from the governor’s social media minions.

“My results last night show you Ron DeSantis’ Twitter troll army is just smoke,” Fine said. “Now, Ron doesn’t want anything from Jews this year, so there was no Hanukkah party because he is only interested in Jews when he wants something from them.”

The dispute represents a stunning turn of events for DeSantis, who has faced little opposition from his party in the Florida Legislature since taking office in 2019. As he enters his final two years in office, the governor finds himself in an unprecedented position: at odds with Republican legislative leaders who are increasingly willing to challenge his authority and work independently with the Trump administration.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Legislature had not formally sent the bill to DeSantis, though the governor has made his intentions to veto it clear. The move could trigger another special session on immigration, further escalating tensions between the executive and legislative branches.

“What they did last night is not going to pass muster,” DeSantis declared. “It is not what they told you they would do when they ran for office.”

UWF POWDER KEG

And there is the University of West Florida – a high-performing Division II university, a critical player in Northwest Florida’s economy, setting records in enrollment and winning conference, regional and national championships in various sports.

DeSantis has orchestrated eight new trustees with the help of the state Board of Governors to replace local leaders and alums with out-of-state Heritage Foundation fellows and his political operatives.

UWF appears to be on the path to becoming the New College 2.0 and another trophy for the Heritage Foundation.

That is unless our state lawmakers – Sen. Don Gaetz, Rep. Michelle Salzman and Rep. Alex Andrade -speak out and ask Senate President Ben Allbritton and House Speaker Danny Perez to fight for our university and stop the hostile takeover of UWF.

Gov. DeSantis’ mojo is weakening. His spokesman’s claim that the governor has a “mandate of ensuring Florida’s institutions of higher learning are focused on classical academic subjects and truth” comes across as hollow, particularly when you know our community’s bond with UWF.

Pensacola voters did not elect Ron DeSantis to a second term so that he would destroy our university and local economy.

We need the Florida Legislature to stand up to DeSantis and save UWF.

Featured Photo: Licensed under the Unsplash+ License

GOP Power Struggle & UWF’s Fate

TRUMP ACT TIFF

WANING POWER

UWF POWDER KEG

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