THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

Can you say SALVIA DIVINORUM & SALVINORIN A ... ???

- SPRING SESSION 2008 -

THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE - BACK IN SESSION

And with it comes the hundreds of bills that the 120 House members and 40 Senators have introduced to be heard during the annual 60 day Spring Session. As usual, bills that address the criminal statutes dominate the agenda. After all, what better way to get reelected every two years than to tell your constituents that you are "tough on crime". And, with the recent report out that showed that 1 out of every 100 adults are incarcerated in our country, and that the USA leads the world in incarceration and that Florida leads the country in adding to the prison population, it will be interesting to see what bills do make it out of committee and onto the floors of each chamber.

Here are just a few of the bills proposed:

Senate Bill S340: SALVIA DIVINORUM & SALVINORIN A

The bill introduces a new Schedule I drug to Chapter 893. (More defendants and lots of new cases to go around for everyone.) Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also S7020, S1574)

Senate Bill S188: CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY

Theft or exploitation of someone 65 or older in the amount of $10,000 or more of funds, assets or property (excluding motor vehicles) equals 3 year MM in prison. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H339)

Senate Bill S456: IGNITION INTERLOCK

One of many new Ignition Interlock bills proposed. This one requests 6 months on a .15 for a first, one year on a second; and one year on a .20 for a first and two years of ignition interlock on a second. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H369)

Senate Bill S654: RESISTING ARREST

A person would no longer be justified in resisting a LEO engaged in an unlawful arrest. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H61)

Senate Bill S782: FIREARMS

New Min Mans galore. For possession of a semi-automatic weapon; from 15-20 years and from 20-25 years and from 25-Life for possession, discharge and hitting your target, respectfully. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H425)

Senate Bill S804: DUI BLOOD TESTING

Adds new language for drawing blood in DUI/Serious Bodily Injury and Death cases. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H317)

Senate Bill S816: TRAFFIC INFRACTION INDICATORS

This is George Orwell and 1984. Traffic ticket clinics will get lots of new business as the cities start writing tickets for running that red light when the camera and the sensor determines that the vehicle ran the red light. The owner gets the ticket - whether they were operating the vehicle or not.
Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H351)

Senate Bill S1030: NVDL, DWLS

More min mans for the jails, because they just need to fill those beds. 30 days MM for driving on a refusal or DUI suspension; 60 days MM for driving on an HTO suspension and 90 days MM for driving on a permanent suspension. Also discusses impoundment of the vehicle. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H109)

Senate Bill S1424: IGNITION INTERLOCK

Another one; this adds 10 years of interlock for a 4th DUI. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H945)

Senate Bill S1574: IGNITION INTERLOCK

This drops the reading from .05 to .025 to turn on that car when the interlock is engaged. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H579)

Senate S2688: DUI/BUI

No more one year probation on a first; now it's unlimited probation; 30 days MM on a third eliminating the requirement that the 3rd must be within ten years of the first; and 2 years FSP MM on a 4th. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

House Bill H115: FLEEING/IMPOUNDMENT

Authorizes officer who is in pursuit of vehicle and decides to end pursuit based on safety concerns, can order the impoundment of the motor vehicle. In order to get the vehicle back, the owner must pay costs of towing and storage and also pay a civil penalty of $2,000. (The bill is written without a stolen vehicle exception; so if it were to pass in its present form, even if your vehicle were stolen, you would still have to pay the $2,000). Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

Three other bills worth mentioning:

Senate Bill S2254: SEALING & EXPUNGING

Introduced by Senator Siplin, (for those of you that don't know who he is, he was arrested, convicted and then had the conviction overturned by the DCA recently - he refused to resign and kept his Senate seat throughout the ordeal); he is pushing a bill to expand the ability to seal from one arrest to three separate arrests. Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

Senate Bill S2464: MICROCHIPS

This is the type of legislation that got the Adam Walsh Foundation and the Center For Missing and Exploited Children going. You can track your car and any other tangible property with tracking devices - but if your most precious possession, your child, is kidnapped out of your home in the middle of the night or taken from a mall when you got distracted for a moment, you must rely on the Amber Alert Network. This bill would prohibit implanting of a microchip or similar monitoring device into a person without full disclosure and written consent. Now how is my three year old going to give me written consent? (I am assuming that this issue will be addressed during the committee hearings so I can protect my most precious asset). Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

Senate Bill S744: SEX WITH ANIMALS

It will become unlawful and a First Degree Felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison to: knowingly engage in sexual conduct with an animal; to permit sexual conduct with an animal to take place on your premises; or to film someone engaged in sexual conduct with an animal. (Contrary to an earlier report, the definition of an animal does not include a description of my first date in college). Session :Bills : flsenate.gov

(See also H119 and H1227).

Contact your State Senator and/or State Representative in Tallahassee and let them know how you feel about any of the proposed legislation that has been introduced for the Spring Session 2008.

Welcome : flsenate.gov and
Florida House of Representatives - Home Page

CAPTAIN OUT ...............