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Reforming sentencing laws and helping former inmates find a job was the goal of about 250 people demonstrating at the state Capitol Wednesday.

Lawmakers are exploring ways to keep people out of prison in an effort to cut costs.

For the second day in a row hundreds rallied at the state capitol demanding criminal justice reform.

“Currently there are almost 100,000 people in prison. We are locking up too many people for far far too long. We’ve got to fix that,” said Shalini Goel Agarwal with the SPLC Action Fund.

Audrey Hudgins’ son has been one of those inmates for 22 years and will remain in prison for the rest of his life.

“My son and our family are still living this daily nightmare,” said Hudgins.

He got the mandatory minimum sentence for armed robbery, even though no one was hurt.

“And there was nothing the judge could do about it. Her hands were tied,” said Hudgins.

It’s stories like Hudgins’ that have advocates like Judy Thompson calling for parole to come back to the state.

“We all change over time. There’s no assessment in place to determine whether or not we can be an asset to the outer society,” said Thompson.

Some Justice reforms are already gaining traction this year, including a bill that would raise the felony theft threshold from $300 to $1,500.

Bill sponsor, Senator Jeff Brandes says the need for reform goes beyond the emotional argument. There’s a financial crisis at the Department of Corrections.

“Our prisons are literally at the breaking point financially, facility wise. Our guards, our wardens are begging for more resources,” said Brandes.

Dozens of States have already taken some of the steps being proposed here in Florida and haven’t crime rates increase.

Other changes reformers are pushing include ending the practice of suspending drivers licenses for non driving offenses and preventing felony convictions from preventing former inmates from getting licensed in certain trades.

Pirates, exotic animals and other staples of the Tampa area filled the court yard at the State Capitol this afternoon in celebration of Hillsborough Day.

Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis even made an impromptu appearance with her daughter Madison and grabbed a free cuban sandwich.

Tampa’s newly elected State Senator Janet Cruz says the annual celebration of the Treasure Coast is a chance to put the spotlight on some of the issues facing the area.
“How about transportation? You know, we all have to take a serious look at, we all have to work towards moving people. From the downtown area to USF to Orlando. So I think that’s our initiative. And some storm water that drains well in hurricanes and our preparedness,” said Cruz. “There’s so much to work for here.”

Improving the state’s transportation infrastructure, including the expansion of the Sun Coast Parkway, is at the top of Senate President Bill Galvano’s agenda this legislative session.

Amendment 4 automatically restored voting rights to felons who have completed their sentence, unless they’d been convicted of a sex crime or murder.

As lawmakers start defining what exact crimes are covered by those categories, St Petersburg State Senator Jeff Brandes has said he wants include attempted murder.

While not included in the amendment’s language, Brandes says it all comes down to intent.

“I challenge somebody to come before our committee and explain to me how somebody could beat a child to the point that they are almost dead and were changed and convicted of attempted murder, a child, and we should be running to restore their rights back,” said Brandes.

Those excluded from automatic restoration under Amendment 4 can still petition the Board of Executive Clemency for their civil rights back.

Legislation that would allow for medical marijuana patients to smoke their medicine cleared the Florida House this afternoon and is now headed to the Governors desk.

The bill puts tight restrictions on access to smokable cannabis for those under 18, requiring the patient to be suffering from a terminal condition and have authorization from their parents and two doctors.

The final vote on the House Floor was 110 in favor and eleven opposed.

Bill Sponsor Rep. Ray Rodrigues told members the final product was better than if the Legislature had chosen to do nothing, and let the Governor drop the state’s appeal of a court ruling that found the ban on smokable unconstitutional.

“If the judicial order is put into effect then we will have smoking of medical marijuana without any of the guidelines that we have placed. And while I don’t think either situation is good I think the situation that results from the passage of this bill is better than the passage that would result if we were not to pass this bill,” said Rodrigues.

The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law quickly.

Governor Ron DeSantis is defending a trip to New York on a billionaires jet.

The trip points out the need for the Governor to have access to a reliable state owned plant.

The Governor traveled from Tallahassee to New York on a jet owned by Jeffery Soffer, a South Florida billionaire with businesses regulated by the state.

The trip was paid for by the Republican Party.

How much is unknown.

“It’s all legal, ethical. No issues there,” said DeSantis. “We we able to get up to New York first thing in the morning. Did a whole bunch of great meetings. And then end up back late that same night.”

While the trip was paid for, critics say it gave the billionaire hotel and casino owner too much time with the Governor.

“I don’t think it’s going to effect anything,” said DeSantis. “You know, I’ve known Jeffrey before this, so it is what it is.”

Florida’s previous Governor sold the state’s planes and traveled on his own jet.

DeSantis says the plane he’s been using could not have made the New York trip.

“That’s not going to get to New York. It would need two refueling’s. It’s actually being repaired a lot lately as well,” said DeSantis.

Florida’s House Speaker has called for a new plane.

DeSantis says it’s not up to him to make that call.

“So I’ve just stayed out of it because I don’t want to be a judge in my own cause, and stuff, so for me to be prattling on,” said DeSantis.

The House Budget Chairman Travis Cummings says a new plane could be on the way.

“I think we recognize, without him being put in a position to a We recognize the need,” said Cummings.

A new plane would take away the need to travel with people who have a vested interest in having the Governor captive.

The plane being used by the Governor was bought from Federal surplus and had to make an emergency lands just days after the Governor took office in January.

Newly enfranchised felons who have completed their sentences rallied at the state Capitol Tuesday morning.

They came to remind lawmakers of their newfound civic voices and bring their issues to the table.

With the passage of Amendment 4 an estimated 1.4 million felons who have completed their sentence earned the right to vote back.

Arthur White from Tampa is one of them.

“I have an opinion again. I count again,” said White.

He’s among hundreds of newly enfranchised Floridians who came from all over the state to meet with lawmakers.

They want legislators to think of them as returning citizens, not former criminals.

“This year our voices count. And it is up to each and every one of us to stand up and fight to change the policies that create barriers to reentry,” said Jessica Younts, Vice President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

FRRC estimates more than 1,000 new voters have registered as a result of Amendment 4.

They expect that number to exponentially rise after they launch their full fledged registration campaign.

Amendment 4 author Desmond Meade says more than anything, the goal is to make sure no newly eligible voter is prevented from registering.

“We believe that every elected official in Tallahassee, and they should, be celebrating American citizens having the right to vote and exercising that right to vote,” said Meade.

One sticking point in early legislative discussions, is what does or does not constitute a completion of sentence.

Neil Volz with FRRC believes once a person is released and has paid any fines or restitution ordered by a judge, a person becomes eligible.

“And we believe that going beyond that would disenfranchise people from voting,” said Volz.

Other issues the new voter base wants lawmakers to consider include raising the felony theft threshold and breaking down barriers that prevent felons from getting a job after they’re released.

It may become easier for adoptees to get a copy of their original birth certificates if a bill moving through the House becomes law.

The legislation, which cleared its first committee stop Tuesday, would remove a requirement that an adoptee get permission from their adoptive parents to get a copy of their original birth certificate.

Bill Barrett with Florida Adoption Reform and Education, whose wife was adopted, says its a step in the right direction.

“My wife was 34 years old. She could sign for a mortgage for a house. She could sign for a car loan. She had kids of her own, but at 34 years old she had to get her adoptive parents to make a signature in order to get information that their names were not even on,” said Barrett.

To get a copy of their original birth certificates, adoptees would still need to prove they’ve made contact with at least one of their birth parents, and have to be over the age of 18.

Florida could be the 38th and final state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment if Democratic Florida lawmakers get their way.

The Amendment was first proposed in 1972 and was a hot button issue for two decades.

Representative Doti Joseph says the amendment is simple and straight forward.

“What is the ERA? It’s all but 24 words. Equal rights under the law shall not be denied to anyone on the basis of sex,” said Joseph. “Poll after poll shows overwhelming support.”

The amendment is unlikely to be scheduled for a hearing, but even if it did pass, there are legal questions over whether the time for states to ratify it has expired.

The amount of dead lumber on the ground after Hurricane Michael has forestry officials worried, in part because landowners may not have the means to have it removed.

Forestry officials briefing the Governor Tuesday said the costs of a fire could be in the tens of millions and that Florida will wither have to pay to get the timber off the ground or to fight massive fires.

“If we don’t get breaks in there. If we don’t start to remove that debris, we’re going to see catastrophic fire, and that catastrophic fire in these kinds of advances is going to mean big air that I’ve I got to bring in on a federal contract that we bring in around the nation. But you could see fires that are running ten to a hundred million dollars, similar to the west, if we don’t get rid of the debris,” said State Forestry Director Jim Karels.

The timber has been on the ground since October.

The state CFO says it has about one more month to be salvaged before it becomes too decayed to harvest.

More than two billion gallons of raw sewage has spilled into Florida waterways over the last ten years.

Fed up, state lawmakers have a bill that would require cities to spend two dollars for every gallon spill on repairs.

Sponsor State Senator Joe Gruters says the current system is insane and has helped increase the risk of red tide.

“Red tide It’s been proven that man made pollution contributes to the intensification of Red tide. And the cause is all of us. Everybody who lives in Florida is part of the cause, but you can’t overlook and ignore when billions of gallons of raw sewage is dumped into our waterways on a consistent basis,” said Gruters.

Sponsors say most county commissions would rather spend money on parks or other projects because fixing sewer leaks doesn’t get them a photo op.

A Florida House committee has approved allowing guns in churches attached to schools or day care centers.

The legislation came about after 26 people were shot to death in November 2017 in a Texas Church.

NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer told committee members the issue wasn’t guns, but property rights.

“Currently, religious institutions are being prevented from making safety and security decisions on their own property,” said Hammer. “Being prevented from having security teams to provide safety to parishioners.”

Another bill approved by a committee Tuesday would prohibit school districts from barring anyone over 18 from storing a gun in their car on school property.

As of 2017 Florida ranks third in the nation for the number of reported human trafficking cases.

On Tuesday a march and rally led by the Department of Children and Families and the anti human trafficking group One More Child sought to raise awareness for the issue and advocate for policy reforms.

One More Child President Jerry Haag says while some high profile cases like the recent bust in Palm Beach catch media headlines, the addressing the problem requires long term solutions.

“We’ve seen highlights come about from trafficking that’s taken place in the state of Florida from these really high visibility busts, but the reality is these were taking place well before those busts ever happened. And so what we have to do is we have to be vigilant,” said Haag. “To be able to come together and say we’re going to make sure that laws are in place to be able to protect victims and also stiffen penalties for perpetrators.”

Several bills have been filed focusing on human trafficking this legislative session, including one that would require training for law enforcement and hospitality staff to help those on the frontlines identify and report suspected trafficking.

After years of stalling, immigration reform is getting a hearing in the Capitol.

Legislation to require local sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration officials appears to be on the fast track.

Advocates have been fighting immigration reform at the state Capitol for almost a decade.

Each year, reforms have failed, but this year, legislation requiring local law enforcement to hold immigrants with federal detainers for at least 48 hours is gaining traction.

“This is about criminal, illegal aliens who are violating our laws,” said Senate Sponsor Joe Gruters.

The House has always supported a ban on sanctuary cities, but what has changed this year is a Senate that is less moderate, and a Governor who is pushing hard to get the bill on his desk.

The Governor has campaigned on immigration reform and made it the center piece in both his inaugural and state of the state addresses.

“We not allow someone here illegally to commit criminal misconduct,” said DeSantis.

The change of political winds has immigration advocates concerned.

“We really should be focused on how to pull our communities together. Focus on economic opportunities,” said Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez.

Florida State Student Nataly Chaco Lopez says her parents were reluctant to drive her to College at Florida State for fear of being stopped.

“It means that every time a loved one gets behind the wheel you get scared. It means freaking freaking out every time your mom texts you, call me, because that call could change your life forever,” said Lopez.

Sen. Gruters calls the fears nonsense.

“There is a lot of fear mongering going on and this bill is about focusing on what’s right for the citizens,” said Gruters.

The sponsor contends the legislation will only apply to up to 4,600 people who are in state prison or county jails.

29 Counties are currently cooperating with immigration policies.

12 counties and three cities have policies against cooperating that would be reversed by the legislation.

Patients could be able to legally smoke medical marijuana by the end of the week.

State lawmakers appear to be on track to lifting the ban on smokable medical marijuana as early as Wednesday, two days earlier than the Friday deadline set by the Governor.

Bill sponsors and advocates say the legislation will bring the state’s medical marijuana program closer in line with what voters approved in 2016.

The legislation has cleared the Senate and will be taken up by the House Wednesday.

Senate Sponsor Jeff Brandes says it will undo the prohibition which has been declared unconstitutional by the courts.

“That’s what our goal here was, was to make sure that we’re focused on accomplishing what the courts have directed and what the voters voted on overwhelmingly,” said Brandes.

Governor Ron DeSantis called on the Legislature to make the change soon after taking office, threatening to drop the state’s appeal of John Morgan’s ‘No Smoke is a Joke Case’ if a bill wasn’t on his desk by March 15th.

“For me, I just think we have to apply with the constitution. I’m not going to fight these lawsuits, when we’re on the losing side of them,” said DeSantis.

The final product would allow doctors to recommend a 2.5 ounces of smokable cannabis for a 35 day supply or 4 ounces for a 70 day supply.

It also prohibits those under 18 from receiving smokable cannabis, unless they have a terminal condition, are recommended by two doctors and have parental consent.

Those protections prompted Senator Denis Baxley to vote yes for the first time on a marijuana bill.

“It protected the children and if we didn’t pass that, then we would get the result of the court ruling, which would be no protection even for the kids,” said Baxley.

For a doctor to recommend smokable cannabis for the average patient, they must submit documentation to the State Board of Medicine, justifying why the benefits of smoking outweigh the risks.

Patients must also sign an informed consent form, which explains the possible negative health risks of smoking.

On Tuesday, cannabis activists will be in the state capitol meeting with lawmakers and discussing other possible reforms to the state’s medical marijuana and hemp industries.

New legislation that would put stricter reporting requirements for sexual abuse in health care facilities has cleared its first senate Committee.

It would require employees of health care facilities licensed by the state Agency for Health Care Administration to report suspected sexual abuse or face a third degree misdemeanor.

75-year-old Edward Bowman, who’s wife was sexually assaulted in a hospital setting has been pushing for the legislation for 13 years.

Earlier this year Bowman, embarked on a more than 100 mile walk from Mount Dora to the State Capitol to advocate for the legislation, which he’s named Clara’s law in honor of his wife, who passed away two years after her assault.

He says it’s the memory of Clara that’s kept him from giving up.
“In my wallet, I carry her wedding ring. It’s been there over 8 years. It’s even made an impression on the other side, but that’s my inspiration,” said Bowman. “That’s what keeps me going and I don’t care how many times somebody tells me I can’t do this or I can’t do that. I say you watch me and see if I don’t.”

Bowman is also pushing for a version of Clara’s law on the federal level.

It would put in place a tracking system, to prevent those repeatedly accused or convicted of sexual assault in health care facilities from moving states and becoming relicensed.