Florida CFO proposes all cdl instruction and test be in English only

Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia is joining in on Florida Republicans’ fight against illegal immigration with a series of proposals ahead of the next legislative session.

The CFO is teaming up with Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate to propose eight laws cracking down on illegal immigration, which is set to be among the hottest topics next session.

Republicans are calling it a state emergency with 1.2 million undocumented immigrants in Florida, including 89,000 in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Democrats say Republicans are making a mockery of their emergency powers.

Ingoglia’s list of laws span a wide array of topics, ranging from keeping immigrants from being able to apply for downpayment assistance to forcing businesses that hire immigrants without proper documentation to pay out of pocket for any injuries.

But of the eight laws, one has broader implications, impacting more than just undocumented immigrants.

Ingoglia is seeking to prohibit all commercial driver’s license instruction and testing from being given in any language other than English. That law, specifically, is the only one of the eight that makes no mention of immigration status but instead targets language.

It comes amid a national push for stricter oversight of CDL training programs after a deadly crash on the Florida Turnpike in August killed three people. The Florida Attorney General’s Office said the driver, who was undocumented, failed a commercial driver’s license test 10 times in the span of two months in 2023 before he was ultimately issued a license. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said the driver could not speak English and could not read the road signs.

Should Florida truck drivers be required to take CDL testing, instruction in English? | wtsp.com