Les Neuhaus, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Les NeuhausMarch 8, 2017

A bill introduced and passed unanimously in the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Wednesday would take away a tool long since considered useful, but increasingly controversial – the power of discretion. The measure – SB 196 — could drastically limit what those in the policing community could do when responding to calls involving […]

Les NeuhausMarch 7, 2017

The Senate Committee on Judiciary overwhelmingly passed a claims bill Tuesday, compensating a man seriously injured as a teen when the van he was riding in was smashed from behind by a school bus belonging to the district. The claims bill — SB 24 — was sponsored by Sen. Anitere Flores, who wanted the district to stick with a […]

Les NeuhausMarch 7, 2017

In an effort to promote public safety, a state legislator filed a bill widening by a far margin the state’s use of body cameras by the law enforcement community at large. State Rep. Al Jacquet filed HB 513 Monday. The bill would, if enacted, require officers to wear and use body cameras while conducting routine traffic […]

Les NeuhausMarch 6, 2017

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A bill heard by a Florida Senate committee Monday seeks to streamline the process of setting up a parenting plan for unmarried parents, according to its sponsor. The proposal in the Senate’s Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee – SB 590 – was introduced by its lead author, Sen. Jeff Brandes, with members […]

Les NeuhausMarch 6, 2017

As legislators in Tallahassee prepare themselves to convene their 60-day Session Tuesday, expect an assortment of proposed bills to be hashed out over the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Hot-button subjects with bipartisan support in the Senate and House include improvements in mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, working toward identifying and reducing […]

Les NeuhausMarch 5, 2017

Brace yourself, because this is the Lord’s Day and we here at Florida Politics don’t like being the bearer of bad news on Sunday, but it is what it is. Save a few prayers for the souls in today’s roundup, especially the first two entries, which are ugly and uglier. — We begin in Fort Myers, […]

Les NeuhausMarch 4, 2017

On Friday a Pinellas County judge ruled John Jonchuck competent to stand trial in the alleged murder of his five-year-old daughter, Phoebe, when he threw her off a St. Petersburg-area bridge. She fell more than 60 feet into the water. In her last few hours, several calls had been made to law enforcement officials and […]

Les NeuhausMarch 3, 2017

A recent study carried out by an organization advocating for the rights of disabled people found that Florida was at the top of a list over a four-year period in which 21 mentally- or physically-challenged persons died as a result of their caregivers’ neglect or malice. One of the reasons Florida led the nation was […]

Les NeuhausMarch 1, 2017

Caseworkers at the Florida Department of Children and Families are being forced to shoulder nearly unbelievable workloads, leading some to falsify records, according to a new report by an Orlando TV news station. A single child protection investigator in the (DCF) had at one point 32 cases with 77 accompanying children, show DCF documents provided […]

Les NeuhausMarch 1, 2017

A 2-year-old boy died after his half-sister left him in a hot car parked outside a Tampa-area day care for several hours while the girl was working, a law enforcement spokesman said Wednesday. Hillsborough County Sheriff deputies were called to the Oak Park Shopping Center Tuesday at 2:40 p.m. at the corner of W. Lumsden […]

Les Neuhaus
Image via AP.

Appropriations Committee approves bill removing police ‘discretion tool’ in first-time cases with juveniles

Judiciary Committee unanimously OK’s claim bill for man injured in bus accident as teen

Bill would require LEOs to wear body cameras during traffic stops

Parenting plan bill that skip courts, lifts court overload gets unilateral support in Senate committee

Range of DCF oversight issues, bills to be debated by Florida lawmakers this Session

DCF roundup: ‘Beating, burning … electrical shocking’ of children; another infant’s death is Dept’s third visit

DCF roundup: Jonchuck competent, victims compensation bill, minor left alone by DCF-contractor, burns on toddler’s back and alleged child molester

Florida leads nation in disabled Americans ‘murdered’ by family, caregivers; media coverage ‘killer centered’

Review of 250 reports by DCF investigators accused of lying shows 40 percent falsified

Toddler dies after hours in hot car parked outside Tampa day care