HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A slew of new Florida laws went into effect on Saturday and people have a lot to say about them.
Among the laws is one of the strictest anti-immigration laws in the country, Senate Bill 1718.
On Saturday morning, there was a meeting of immigration groups in Miami to come up with strategies for those impacted by the bill.
The law invalidates out of state driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants, requires hospitals to ask patients about immigration status, allocates more money for migrant relocations and requires businesses to use a system to verify immigration statuses for employees.
Some are concerned their work and healthcare could be at risk, but supporters of the bill believe the state is addressing an issue the federal government has failed to address.
Also taking effect in Florida was the Parental Rights in Education Law.
The law expands on Florida’s earlier passed law regarding gender and sexual identity, and how and if it’s taught in schools, and expands the previous law to the high school level.
The law bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from happening in all grades K-12. The law also limits the way teachers and students can use their preferred pronouns in schools.
A new state law also bars transgender people from using the school restrooms associated with their gender identity.
Another law taking effect makes Florida the latest state to allow people to carry concealed guns without a permit, as long as they can show their ID.
This doesn’t apply to a lot of places like schools, government buildings and businesses that choose not to allow guns on their property.