By James Call
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-959163.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – It's known as the Droopy Drawer's Bill. For the fourth consecutive year, Senator Gary Siplin sponsors a bill ordering teenage boys to pull up their pants.
The Florida Senate Wednesday did housecleaning on three proposals, getting them ready for final passage. James Call reports, with no debate Senators advanced a bill which would make it easier for ex-felons to find work. Lawmakers also came out against sex with animals and droopy drawers.
Broward Senator Chris Smith is sponsoring Senate Bill 146 which would make it possible for ex felons to get occupational licenses. Felons lose their civil rights upon convictions; including the ability to get professional licenses to cut hair, repair appliances and paint houses. Earlier this month the Governor and Cabinet repealed a streamlined rights restoration process. There's a backlog of an estimated 98 thousand applications. Smith's proposal would enable people to get occupational licenses without having their rights restored. He calls it a jobs bill.
"We passed this bill out unanimously but we haven't had much movement in the House. And we figured out the problem in the House is the expunge aspect that is part of the bill. For the effort to get this moving in the House this takes out all the references to expunging and all the things we put in about expunging so we could get some movement across the hall."
Outlawing bestiality is another idea the Senate has failed for years to get the House to move on. A 1971 Supreme Court ruling struck down an 1868 law that prohibited what it called, "abominable and detestable crime against nature, either with mankind or with a beast." The justices said the wording was vague. Senator Nan Rich has worked to reinstate the ban since she was elected to the legislature 11 years ago. When her bill was read she faced one question, a friendly one from Senator Rhonda Storms.
"I do want to ask you a question can you answer the question about the correlation between animal abuse and human abuse? Could you please address that issue as to why this is also a critical issue?"
"That's a different bill. And one I had when I first got to the Legislature. To look at the correlation between animal abuse and child abuse and there is an 88-percent correlation."
In previous years the House failed to grant similar proposals a hearing. Members said the topic made them squeamish. In an effort to improve its chances in the House, Rich amended the proposal taking sex out of its title.
"I don't personally care what you call it. I just want to give the state attorneys and the people who have asked us for this bill to make sure that they can prosecute heinous crimes like this the ability to do that and so it doesn't really matter what the name of the bill is you know let's just get it finished."
A companion bill in the House passed unanimously out of one committee and has been referred to a second. Wednesday the Senate also rolled to 3rd reading this year's version of the droopy drawers bill. This is the fourth year that Senator Gary Siplin has attempted to require schools to adopt a dress code policy prohibiting students from wearing clothing in a revealing manner or in a way that is disruptive to learning.
In committee it has been called the pants on the ground and the baggy pants bill. Siplin calls it a code of conduct for students.
"This is just a pro family pro education pro jobs bill that provides that each school district must adopt within its student code o f conduct a policy that explains each student's responsibility as it concerns dress in the school environment."
A student's first violation would bring a verbal warning and a call to a parent. A second offense could result in a five-day ban from participating in extracurricular activities such as sports. For a third offense, the penalty could be an in-school suspension. A House proposal passed out of one committee on a unanimous vote.
In the Senate Siplin's proposal along with Rich's animal abuse and Smith's professional licenses for ex felons will be scheduled for a 3rd reading and a Senate Floor vote.