Florida AG: Make Licensing for Felons Tougher

Attorney General Bill McCollum urged Florida lawmakers Tuesday to make it tougher for former felons to get occupational licenses for jobs involving children, seniors and disabled people.

McCollum, who's also running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, asked for the repeal or modification of a law that requires the state to grant licenses to ex-convicts who've had their civil rights restored except for crimes directly related to those jobs.

"That is a very bad provision," McCollum said at a joint meeting of three House panels. "Let the licensing agency have more latitude. Right now they're in probably a straight jacket."

Other officials also offered suggestions for closing loopholes in criminal background checks required for jobs in day care centers, schools, nursing homes and many other health care, social services and education workplaces.

House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, has directed the committees to take on the issue after the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported thousands of ex-felons have slipped through the screening process.

McCollum's proposal is workable, said Mark R. Schlakman, senior program director at Florida State University's Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, but that's as long as changes affecting licensing don't prevent felons from getting their civil rights restored for such things as voting and serving on juries.

"Civil rights restoration has to be completely separated from this process," Schlakman said in an interview. "These are public safety issues."

McCollum and Department of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon also each recommended that a three-year waiting period before felons can apply for a license should be lengthened.

Sheldon pointed out the current three-year wait starts running from the time the crime was committed. He suggested a five-year period starting when a felon is released from prison or completes probation.