Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly vetoed a bill on Tuesday that would have allowed those who have been incarcerated to preserve their Florida residency for higher education tuition reasons, claiming that Florida should “not reward criminal activity.”
During the legislative session that ended in March, lawmakers passed the bill (SB 62) unanimously in the Senate and 109-5 in the House.
The legislation would have extended to persons who otherwise met the qualifications for residency, such as having lived in Florida legally for 12 months before enrolling in college or university.
According to a Senate examination of the bill, state law currently does not explicitly authorize or prevent time served in a Florida prison from counting toward the year-long legal residency requirement.
Students who meet residency requirements pay less tuition than out-of-state students. However, DeSantis blasted the law in a veto letter issued 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 concluded.
[READ MORE: DeSantis Suspends Councilwoman Accused of Fraud]
