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Immigration Bill Heads To Fla. Senate Floor

MIAMI (CBS4) -- Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos is seeking to beef up the Senate immigration reform bill in a last minute attempt to require businesses use the federal government's electronic work eligibility program.

Officials confirmed Friday that Sen. J.D. Alexander will likely present the bill to the full floor Monday. Alexander is a citrus grower from Polk County who knows a thing or two about hiring immigrant labor.

Previously, South Florida's Sen. Anitere Flores was carrying the bill. She sought to water down some of the bill's toughest language, including making the E-verify check system voluntary.

Still, Flores faced criticism from pro-immigrant groups like America's Voice Immigration Fund and Democracia USA. They repeatedly ran ads on Spanish-language radio in Miami accusing the Cuban-American legislator of being a traitor to her community.

(© 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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