Senate transportation committee Chairman Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg, is currently holding hearings and has requested information from the Clerks of Court, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and the Department of Corrections regarding the suspension of driver’s licenses.
In the State of Florida, 1.5 million citizens have had their licenses suspended for non-driving activities such as failure to pay a fine or fee, and unknowingly letting their insurance coverage lapse or having it done in error.
You can also have your license suspended for underage tobacco use, graffiti, truancy, marijuana possession, and failure to pay child support.
Is your license suspended? Check here.
Ironically you can be sentenced to prison where child support can continue to accrue with no chance of payment or any possibility of ever getting a driver’s license. Sadly, there are approximately 1,662 imprisoned in the D.O.C. for driving with a suspended or revoked license and countless others in our county jails.
Quite frankly, this is a travesty and at best a misbegotten attempt by our legislature to appear tough on crime or at worst just another way to squeeze more money out of those who can least afford it.
It’s all about the money.
Tell the Senate Transportation Committee to remove felony sanctions for driving on a suspended license as well as using it to penalize those charged with graffiti, under age tobacco use, and marijuana possession.
