Maria’s life’s work has been dedicated to ensuring the safety of Florida’s communities and strengthening law enforcement statewide. A former state prosecutor, Maria organized anti-gang symposiums to highlight increasing gang violence in Palm Beach County. As a legislator, she has continued to speak out against criminal violence and has worked hard to pass legislation to protect her constituents affected by accidental injury and natural disasters.
Combating Crime
After a successful career as a state prosecutor, Maria brought her fight against gang violence to the Florida House. There, she co-sponsored a bill targeting gang leaders, assigning the act of directing gang activity a life sentence. As a senator, she sponsored gun control legislation as well as bills combating bullying and drug abuse.
Natural Disaster Safety
Senator Sachs is committed to ensuring that Floridians are sufficiently equipped to withstand natural disasters. As a representative, she sponsored hurricane preparedness legislation and has worked to make sure that those who have suffered property damage from natural disasters are adequately compensated.
Preserving Consumer and Child Safety
Maria has worked on numerous bills in the House and now the Senate to protect consumers from dangerous products and strengthen security measures to keep children safe. Following the death of Haile Brockington last year, Senator Sachs has made it her mission to prevent any more children dying from heat stroke when left unattended by negligent caregivers. Her legislation, Haile’s Law, would require all daycare vans to be equipped with alarms that remind the driver to make sure all kids have exited the vehicle. Even though it passed in the Senate, politics got in the way and prevented its passage in the Florida House. What started as a cause has now become a crusade. Another two-year-old infant died after being left in the sweltering heat of a child care van. This prompted the Palm Beach County Commission to pass the first local initiative in the state, modeled after Senator Sachs’ bill, requiring additional safety measures for child care vans.
Protecting Communities
There is a statutory loophole in Florida’s Sexual Predators Act that allows convicted sexual offenders and predators to live in the same household with unrelated minor children. Although there are certain restrictions as to where a sexual offender or predator can live there are generally no restrictions on whom they can live with once off probation. Senator Sachs has proposed legislation to close this loophole by prohibiting convicted sexual offenders and predators in which the victim was under the age of 12 from living in the same household with an unrelated minor child under the age of 12. This legislation will also require sexual offenders and predators who are required to register under Florida Law to include the name and ages of the individuals they are living with.