Reform
State Sen. Rob Bradley’s criminal justice reform bill has gained traction in the Senate Appropriations Committee, where members approved giving first-time drug offenders a break from minimum mandatory sentences. Under his proposal, anyone convicted of the first time of buying or possessing less than 2 grams of any narcotic — except fentanyl — would not have to serve more than a year in jail. House leaders don’t share Bradley’s enthusiasm, but he’s not discouraged.
Also, on today’s #Sunrise:
— Senate leaders are pushing ahead with their new gun safety legislation … much to the dismay of the National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer, who calls it gun control on steroids.
— A bill banning the import, export, and sale of shark fins clears its second House committee.
— Bud Chiles, the son of the late Gov. Lawton Chiles, talks about his new campaign to encourage purchasing American-grown produce.
— In an all-woman Florida Man segment, stories of two girls-gone-wild at two different airports.