Florida GOP election police bill clears committee

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla (AP) — Florida Republicans have advanced a voting law package that would establish a police unit for election crimes, embracing a proposal pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. A Senate committee approved the bill Tuesday after hours of debate. Democrats questioned the need for an election police force, saying the bill makes it harder to vote by mail. Sen. Travis Hutson, a Republican sponsoring the bill, said it was meant to safeguard elections. The bill would create an Office of Election Crimes and Security to investigate election fraud and let the governor appoint special law agents to pursue cases, a proposal DeSantis tied to unspecified instances of voter fraud.