After the Florida cabinet approved new restrictions on the restoration of voting and other civil rights for felons, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the right to seek occupational licenses should be seen as “a completely separate issue.”
A bill that would unlink the two has been advancing in the Florida legislature. The House version, carried by Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach, cleared the Judiciary Committee unanimously on Thursday.
The measure would ease restrictions on hiring felons and allow them to apply for professional licenses.
Bondi agreed with civil rights advocates who said it would help former offenders find work after leaving prison, which would make them less likely to return.
