February 23, 2023 | by Eric Daugherty on Florida Voice
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Florida Rep. Berny Jacques, R-Largo, filed HB 939 Thursday, aiming to bolster education for Floridians in the youth justice system.
The bill would expand the Department of Juvenile Justice’s “educational scope” via the creation of the Florida Scholars Academy. The department is headed by Secretary Eric Hall.
It would include $12 million in funding to enact a “streamlined approach to educating vulnerable youth within the system.”
“As a former prosecutor who had to hold countless amounts of young people accountable when they broke the law, I know that education can be part of an early intervention strategy that will prevent them from getting into a life of crime,” Jacques said.
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February 1, 2023 | by Michelle Vecerina on Florida Voice
PARKLAND, Fla. (FLV) – Parkland shooting victims’ families responded after lawmakers filed a bill that would prevent one juror from being able to nix the death penalty. Under the proposed bill, a supermajority, rather than a unanimous verdict, would be needed to enact capital punishment.
National school safety advocate Max Schachter is the father of Alex Schachter, one of the 17 victims murdered in the Parkland school shooting in 2018. He thanked Sen.
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January 24, 2023 | by Neil W. McCabe on OAN
One Florida State Representative proposes legislation to compel the Capitol Police to follow Florida’s transparency laws when they are operating in the state.
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September 22, 2022 | by Kelly Hayes on Florida Politics
The winner of the HD 59 seat will replace state Rep. Nick DiCeglie who vacated his seat to run for Senate.
Largo Mayor Woody Brown is backing Republican nominee Berny Jacques as he runs for the House District 59 seat.
Brown was elected Mayor in 2014, and has subsequently been re-elected. The newly drawn HD 59 is located in Pinellas County and includes Largo, Seminole, parts of Pinellas Park and some unincorporated areas of the county.
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August 24, 2022 | by Kelly Hayes on Florida Politics
The three candidates were running to replace state Rep. Nick DiCeglie as he vacates his seat to run for Senate.
Former prosecutor Berny Jacques will become the Republican nominee for state House District 59 after besting opponents lawyer Jennifer Wilson and Navy physician Dipak Dinanath Nadkarni Tuesday.
Jacques won the nomination with 51% of the vote, followed by Wilson, who collected 35%. Nadkarni came in third with 14% of the vote.
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