Several criminal justice reforms headed to the governor

The Legislature sent Governor Ron DeSantis a bill making a number of criminal justice reforms today, and DeSantis has signaled to Historic City News that he supports the reforms.  Some of the issues addressed have not been updated in Florida in decades.

The changes were welcomed by many as a step in the right direction; among those is advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity – Florida, which issued a statement shortly after the vote.

“Florida lawmakers took solid steps to improve our justice system,” said Americans for Prosperity – Florida State Director Skylar Zander.  “This is a first step towards helping rebuild people’s lives, making communities safer, and are a sincere approach towards the stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

INCLUDED IN HB 7125:

• Raises the felony-theft threshold from $300 to $750
• Reduction in occupational licensing barriers for felons
• Cuts the number of offenses that result in a driver’s license suspension
• Expands eligibility of pre-trial diversions programs and drug-treatment courts
• Department of Corrections to provide a directory of re-entry services to inmates

“We applaud Representative Paul Renner and Senator Jeff Brandes for leading the charge, thank our coalition partners and activists who worked tirelessly, and we hope Governor DeSantis signs this bill as soon as possible,” Zander added.  “Lawmakers should seize on this momentum and prepare to come back in 2020 with additional reforms.”

Lawmaker votes on HB 7125 will be included in the Americans for Prosperity annual post-Legislative Session scorecard.