Florida Courts Overhaul Moving Closer to Passage

An overhaul of the Florida court system that has already been approved by the Florida House is one step closer to passing the Florida Senate.

The Senate’s version was discussed on Thursday and rolled over to third reading. That means it will be voted on before the end of session on May 6.

But remarks from both Democrats and Republicans suggest they oppose the change. It is still unclear whether there are enough votes.

The courts overhaul is pushed by House Speaker Dean Cannon. It includes splitting the Supreme Court into separate divisions to handle civil and criminal appeals and increasing the number of justices from 7 to 10. Many of the changes require constitutional revisions that ultimately have to be approved by 60 percent of voters.