10 March 2017 :

The Senate unanimously passed SB 280. The measure requires all 12 members of a jury to approve a death sentence. If just one juror dissents, convicted murderers are sentenced to life in prison. Last October, the Florida Supreme Court threw out the state's death sentencing law, which required the jury to vote 10-2 in favor of capital punishment. In doing so, the justices forced the Legislature's hand, requiring them to fix state law if they wanted to allow prosecutions to move forward in death cases. Republican leaders made the new law a priority. The House lined up a version of the same legislation for a likely Friday vote. Sponsored by Republican Rep. Chris Sprowls, HB 527 is expected to gain wide support in that chamber as well. Gov. Rick Scott will review the legislation, a spokeswoman said. Scott has been an avid supporter of the death penalty, overseeing more executions than any previous governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. If he signs it, the bill would become law automatically. On the first day of the 2016 session, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling in Hurst vs. Florida that ruled the state's sentencing scheme unconstitutional because it gave judges discretion to order the death penalty, not juries. Lawmakers changed the law last year and upped the jury standard from a simple majority to a 10-2 vote.