DeSantis Vetoes Bipartisan Crime Reform Bill
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a criminal justice reform bill that received almost unanimous support from both houses of the Florida state Legislature. The veto was issued without an explanation from the governor’s office.
The bill in question, House Bill 605, aimed to modify the Florida statute related to the expungement of criminal history records. Currently, Florida law prohibits adults from having their criminal records expunged if they had previous juvenile offenses cleared unless the record had been sealed for at least 10 years.
The bipartisan bill that was vetoed sought to provide individuals with a fresh start by allowing expungement of their records if their prior offenses were committed as juveniles and not handled as adult charges.
State Rep. David Smith, a Republican from Winter Springs who introduced the legislation, expressed disappointment regarding the veto. Smith believed that expungement of criminal records would benefit the workforce, address labor shortages, and primarily help individuals in Florida without any criminal convictions, reported Tampa Bay Times.
Although no explanation for the veto was given by the governor’s staff, Smith mentioned that a senior staff member expressed willingness to work on improving the bill language for the 2024 legislative session with the expectation of its eventual enactment.
Changed Stance on Crime
Observers suggested that DeSantis vetoed the bill to present himself as tough on crime during the current election cycle.
DeSantis, who is running for the GOP 2024 presidential nomination, recently stated his intention to repeal the First Step Act signed by former President Donald Trump, which aimed to reduce sentences and improve prison conditions.
Despite the veto, Smith noted that there is potential for collaboration on the bill’s language in the 2024 legislative session, “with the expectation it could be signed into law next year,” reported NBC News.
DeSantis has previously signed revised bills that he had previously vetoed, as was the case with a bill related to expunging records of individuals who completed a juvenile diversion program, which was signed in 2022 after amendments were made to exclude “forcible felonies.” Such felonies include murder, manslaughter, carjacking, and similar offenses.
Former Republican Florida state Sen. Jeff Brandes, known for his interest in prison reform, expressed the hope that DeSantis would reconsider his stance. Brandes highlighted what he considers the need for policies that provide second chances and reduce inmate idleness.
“The criminal justice community struggled to find hope, but persevered because this issue affects their friends, family, and loved ones,” former state Sen. Jeff Brandes told NBC News. “Florida continues to have more than 12,000 pending clemency cases, the National Guard still patrols our understaffed prisons, and Florida has still yet to adopt policies that reduce inmate idleness or provide second chances.”
Critics pointed out that DeSantis’s position on criminal justice reform has shifted to the right since his presidential bid began, which contrasts with his previous track record.
“Unfortunately, just in the last few weeks, we have seen rhetoric out of the campaign that is out of step with Republican voters and Gov. DeSantis’s own track record on these issues,” Jenna Bottler, president and executive director of the Justice Action Network, told NBC News.
The Justice Action Network said on Twitter that DeSantis “once supported early release for some prisoners and said he was open to easing mandatory minimum guidelines—provisions in the First Step Act, the prison reform bill, he now says he would repeal.”
