TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republican Reps. Tom Fabricio and Berny Jacques outlined a series of legislative priorities Wednesday aimed at reducing taxpayer burdens, tightening workforce integrity, and prioritizing Floridians in the state’s university system.
Speaking in separate interviews on Florida’s Voice Radio, both lawmakers described a fast-paced legislative session focused on “common sense” reforms and responding to the economic pressures facing working-class families.
Fabricio targets ‘ancient’ technology and professional oaths
Fabricio is pushing a plan to modernize vehicle registration by eliminating the physical yellow registration decals currently required on Florida license plates.
“It’s an ancient technology from before anybody could ever imagine that there would be a supercomputer that the cops could use to check in to make sure that you’re registered,” Fabricio said. He estimated the change would save millions of dollars in manufacturing and postage costs.
Additionally, Fabricio is sponsoring HB 147, which would require public school teachers to take a professional oath to uphold the U.S. and Florida Constitutions.
“I believe that public school teachers should take an oath that they’re going to follow the Constitution, follow Florida law, and do all the right things, because we’re putting our children in their trust,” Fabricio said, comparing the requirement to oaths taken by lawyers and doctors.
Jacques advances E-Verify expansion and university caps
Jacques highlighted the House’s recent passage of a significant expansion to the E-Verify system, which now requires all employers—regardless of size—to verify the legal work status of new hires.
Jacques argued that the move creates a “level playing field” for businesses that already follow the law but are being underbid by competitors who use illegal labor.
“We need to make sure that we restore workforce integrity in our state, to make sure that only legal people, Americans, are getting into these jobs instead of illegal labor,” Jacques said.
On the education front, Jacques has filed a bill to cap the number of foreign students attending any single state university on a visa at 10%.
While Florida currently has a system-wide cap, Jacques wants the limit applied per institution to ensure Florida residents are not “losing their seat to a foreigner” at top-tier schools like the University of Florida.
Joint focus on property tax relief
Both lawmakers emphasized that property tax relief remains the top concern for their constituents. Fabricio discussed fixing “portability issues” to allow homeowners to transfer tax savings more easily, while Jacques committed to delivering clear ballot language for a constitutional amendment in November.
“People are getting crushed,” Jacques said. “Working class families, seniors on fixed incomes, many of which are in my district, are feeling the pain, and we have to deliver.”