Americans for Prosperity-Florida State Director Skylar Zander today issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved House Bill 7051, which is sponsored by Rep. Cord Byrd and Rep. Fentrice Driskell. The legislation includes numerous criminal justice reforms, including improving guidelines on police officers use of force.
“This legislation is just what Florida needs to help keep all its citizens safe and restore their trust in our law enforcement officers – brave men and women who are dedicated to protecting communities across the state. Americans for Prosperity applauds the House leadership for this forward-thinking piece of legislation. We are grateful to the House Appropriations Committee for approving this important police reform measure, and to Reps. Cord Byrd and Fentrice Driskell for their leadership on this issue. We’re also appreciative of Judiciary Chair Daniel Perez, House Speaker Chris Sprowls, and all who were involved in bringing together support for HB 7051.”
The legislation calls for basic skills training on the use of force for law enforcement and correctional officers, including de-escalation techniques, and contains other provisions requiring fellow officers to intervene against excessive use of force and dictating independent review of certain police actions. It also prevents children younger than seven from being arrested unless the violation of law is a forcible felony.
