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Bill Would End Florida Practice Of Suspending Licenses For Driving While Broke

courtesy Matthew Holland
/
Miami Herald
Matt Holland of Spring Hill is one of two million Floridians who have had their license suspended because they could not afford to pay the debt.

Matthew Holland left prison prepared to get a job, but the Spring Hill resident wasn’t prepared for the $3,000 in court fees, the 45 day deadline to pay it, the driver license suspension when he didn’t have the cash, or the 10-year toil it would take on his plan to reenter society.

“They shouldn’t be able to suspend your license because you can’t afford to pay your tickets or your fees,’’ said Holland 32, who has a steady job, a wife and two kids, but has been without a license for the last 10 years.

“The goal of the American dream is to be able to provide for your family and when they take away your ability to do that, they take away your dream.”

Holland is one of two million people — one in eight drivers — Florida has punished by suspending their driver license because they haven’t paid fines imposed for traffic tickets, toll violations and criminal convictions regardless of ability to pay.

Read more from our partner, the Miami Herald.

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