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Bill Making Changes To Florida's 10-20-Life Law Heads To House Floor

Rep. Neil Combee speaking before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday.
Florida Channel
Rep. Neil Combee speaking before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday.
Rep. Neil Combee speaking before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday.
Credit Florida Channel
/
Florida Channel
Rep. Neil Combee speaking before the House Judiciary Committee Thursday.

A bill making changes to Florida’s 10-20-Life law is now heading to the House floor. Listen to the story!

Rep. Neil Combee (R-Polk City) says the aim is to eliminate the unintended consequences of the bill’s 10-20-Life law, as it relates to aggravated assault cases.

“House Bill 135 removes aggravated assault from the list of crimes that carry mandatory minimum sentences,” said Combee, during the bill's last committee hearing Thursday. “It originated from Governor Rick Scott’s 2013 Citizens Safety and Protection Task Force. And, one of the recommendations that that committee made at the end of their work was that we should review Florida’s 10-20-Life law to eliminate any unintended consequences.”

In the past, Combee has argued that though it’s very few cases, there are people in prison serving a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years for threatening to use force. And, he wants to change that. Meanwhile, its Senate companion is now teed up for a floor vote next Thursday.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

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