TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A bill seeking to make Floridians turn down loud music booming from their vehicles has won approval from a state Senate committee.
The measure (SB 634) seeks to reinstate a violation for blasting loud music from a car stereo that was struck down by the Florida Supreme Court.
The court ruled the law violated free speech rights partly because it exempted vehicles used for business or political purposes.
Those exemptions aren't included in the current legislation, approved by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Monday. It would restore the prior ban on music blaring from a vehicle that is "plainly audible" at a distance of 25 feet or more.
The violation would result in a $30 fine. The state's police chiefs and sheriffs support the bill.
