TALLAHASSEE (WFLA News) -- The Florida House passes a bill to lessen penalties for certain nonviolent crimes.
The bill raises the financial threshold for felony theft from $300 to $1000. That would be the first change since 1986 in Florida.
It deals with a wide range of issues. One provision would make it easier for those not convicted of a crime to seal arrest and related records.
The bill also removes mandatory minimum sentences for those who sell horse meat to the public without proper labeling.
Representative Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) supports the legislation, saying lawmakers "care about safety and security" but don't want to "cause harm when harm isn't necessary."
Fellow representative Mike Hill (R-Pensacola) opposes the bill, saying it's "soft on crime" and "(doesn't) champion the rights of individuals."
The House bill goes to the Senate, where a similar bill has been bottled up for a week. It would raise the felony threshold to $750.
Material from the News Service of Florida was used in this report.
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