Bill Establishing Onerous Penalties for Unlicensed Driving Moves in House

HB 1589 (Plakon) would establish criminal penalties for unlicensed driving. FCCB's executive director, Michael Sheedy, sent a letter to the sponsor, outlining a few points of concern with the bill. "It must be noted that a significant number of Florida's residents have no path to a driver's license," wrote Michael. "Because driving is essential to work and life in Florida, we are concerned that adding more severe penalties would not likely curb the problem of unlicensed and uninsured drivers, but would instead exacerbate it." 

On Tuesday, FCCB indicated its opposition to the bill during the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee meeting. The bill was approved by a 13-3 vote. In the Senate, SB 1324 (Ingoglia) has passed its first committee of reference.