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The first of what will likely be hundreds of college students visited the state capitol today. As Whitney Ray tells us, they’re fed up with tuition increases and Bright Future cuts.

They woke up early, college students on a bus to Tallahassee to make a difference.

The group of University of South Florida students included freshmen and upper classmen, scholarship students and those working part time to pay tuition. Jean Cocco is a junior. He works, takes out loans and uses Bright Futures to pay for school.

“Where are we going to draw the line? Where am I going to have to say well, ‘is it worth it?’ That’s what I hear a lot of students ask, ‘is it worth it,’” said Cocco.

Janine Kiray is a senior who was promised a full ride, but cuts to Bright Futures and tuition hikes have forced her family to take out loans.

“Us students we don’t have much money and it’s very difficult sometimes to go to school and have a job,” said Kiray.

About 70 students traveled to the state capitol Tuesday. They’re the first of many who will make the trip to Tallahassee over the next few weeks to influence lawmakers.

Wednesday University of North Florida students will be here. The visits are part of a multi-university effort to get an extra 118 million dollars for higher education. State lawmakers are listening

“I’d like to see us restore full funding to education,” said State Senator Geraldine Thompson.

There’s a lot at stake for Chloe Little. She’s a freshman. Without the extra state funding her tuition could go up every year until she graduates.

“I am part of many students who could possible not be able to attend next semester depending on how dramatically it increases,” said Little.

The group split up and met with half a dozen lawmakers. The goal is to reach every member before session ends. The visit is part of the Aim Higher campaign. Students from Florida’s 11 public universities are participating. The campaign was launched after presidents from the universities vowed not to raise tuition if state lawmakers would restore cuts and pump an extra 118 million dollars in to the university system.

Legislation is in the works to keep former felons out of jail.

Today at the state capitol, lawmakers joined the Florida Smart Justice Alliance to discuss ways to reduce the recidivism rate. Right now about a third of every inmate released from prison will committee a new crime. State Senator Thad Altman says to cut the rate of re-offenders changes need to be made.

“It’s no secret that our criminal justice system is pretty much a revolving door. Something has to be done. I believe this is a giant step forward. We are beginning the step of creating a correctional reentry treatment facility,” said Altman.

Using empty state prisons to teach inmates job and life skills during the last three years of their sentences is just one idea being put in to legislation. Other ideas include issuing state IDs to people leaving prison and to enhancing the state’s work release program.

State lawmakers want to protect pregnant women in the work place.

Federal law already protects pregnant workers from on the job discrimination, but state lawmakers think Florida needs its own law. State Senator Geraldine Thompson has filed a bill to officially ban discrimination against pregnant workers and give investigators more time to review a discrimination case.

“Currently they have a requirement that they complete and close a case in 180 days. This bill would extend the time to resolution to 240 days,” said Thompson.

At the news conference at the state capitol today there was a woman who claims she was fired after getting pregnant. She says if Florida had a state law against pregnancy discrimination she would have better grounds to challenge her dismissal.

Many death row inmates in Florida will die of natural causes not by an executioner’s needle. As Whitney Ray tells us, the recent death of one inmate is fueling debate on both sides of the capital punishment argument.

Sentenced to death, Tommy Wyatt probably thought his life would end strapped to a table, but the 49 year old died before he could feel the stinging needle or the fatal drugs.

Ann Howard with the Florida Department of Corrections says it’s not uncommon for a condemned man to die before his sentence is carried out.

“All over the state we do have inmates die. It’s not just death row.
With almost 100-thousand inmates that shouldn’t surprise anybody, that is going to happen,” Howard said.

Since the death penalty was reinstated 74 people have been executed in Florida. Close to 40 have died before their death warrants were signed. The Florida Catholic Conference says their deaths prove justice can be served without executions.

“It’s severe punishment to remain on death row for the remainder of your life and that again goes to speak to what we are saying that you can be punished by staying in prison for the rest of your life verses being executed,” Conference Spokesperson Sheila Hopkins said.

But supporters of the death penalty say the fact that people are dying before the state can kill them means the system’s broken. They want to see more executions.
The state kills about two inmates a year. The average wait time for an execution is 13 years.

“If we are not going to get rid of it, let’s at least fix it so we don’t have this blight on our justice system where we have people hanging around 25 or 30 years without any end in sight,” said State Representative Matt Gaetz before a committee hearing on February 7th.

Earlier this month state lawmakers rejected a bill to end capitol punishment. With the repeal bill dead, the focus shifts to how the process can be improved.

One death penalty reform idea with a chance of passing this session is the unanimous jury bill. Right now Florida is the only state in the union where someone can be sentenced to die with a jury vote of seven to five.

They couldn’t make the trip to Tallahassee so instead they signed a petition. More than 10-thousand Floridians have signed a letter asking state lawmakers to except federal money to expand Medicaid. The Medicaid expansion was made optional through the Affordable Care Act. It would allow an extra one million Floridians to claim the entitlement. Tori Rosenberg a supporter of the expansion says expanding Medicaid would save the state money by providing preventative health care.

“And in turn we’ll save a lot of money because it will be preventative. So people that wait that don’t have insurance, don’t got to the doctor, they don’t go to the hospital until the last minute when they do go, that’s when the costs come out really high,” said Rosenberg.

If Florida chooses to expand Medicaid then the federal government would pay the bulk of the bill for 10 years. Lawmakers worry who would pay after that.

State says “Never Mind”

A new state law that went on the books sent panic across Canada this week and created fear among Florida tourism officials. No one noticed a new requirement that foreign drivers must have an International Drivers Permit issued by their home country beginning January First. Once the panic started, the state quickly backed down.

Florida has been front page news and a lead television story across Canada and the UK since Wednesday. One tourism official told Canadian TV on Thursday:

“They haven’t told anybody about this. We know for a fact they didn’t tell the car rental agencies in Florida about this.”

The concern. Not having one of these. An International Driving Permit. All foreign drivers  in Florida were required to have one starting January first to help police understand a foreign language. Seems Lawmakers never considered English is the language of most of Canada and the UK.

Just over three million Canadians come to Florida every year. That’s almost one of every ten residents. Now is the most popular time to travel. Thousands were here before the law took effect.

Because so many Canadians are snow birds, even Disney started asking questions. The Panic that started Wednesday morning has been solved.

Kirsten Olsen-Doolan is the Highway Safety Spokesperson. She told us the law is on hold “while we figure out the language of it, they won’t be enforcing it. Folks just need to have a valid license from their country in order to drive in Florida.”

The state has talked with the Sheriffs and Police Chiefs Associations. All have agreed to defer enforcement.

Some visitors are asking about their auto insurance. The Office of Insurance Regulation says it is reviewing the matter.  Until they have a better answer, the state is offering this advice to our Canadian visitors. “If they want to feel safe about it, they need to call their carrier” says Highway Safety Spokesperson Olsen-Doolan.

Canadian officials are quoted as saying they will seek a total repeal of the law. Tourism officials will likely join them. In deferring enforcement of the law, the state says it is basing the deferral of the law on the fact it may violate an international treaty with Canada. State Insurance officials don’t expect to be able to answer our question about coverage before Monday.

Battle lines are being drawn once again over a bill giving parents the ability to take over their child’s failing school. As Whitney Ray tells us, the parent trigger bill shattered loyalties last session ultimately dying on a tie vote.

A rule of politics, count the votes before your bill hits the floor. Late in the legislative session last year, despite a GOP supermajority, the votes were too close to count.

The bill in question… The Parent Empowerment Act, known as the parent trigger bill by opponents. It would allow parents to petition their kids failing school to turn it in to a charter school.

“If we’ve got a bill called the Parent Empowerment Bill, then why is the PTA against the bill?” asked State Senator Nancy Detert on the chamber floor last March.

The legislation died on a split vote. Now it’s back for another round. A new bill similar to last year’s legislation was filed here at the state capitol this week. It’s already gaining attention.

Republican Representative Jimmy Patronis says the bill encourages parent participation.

“Anytime you can empower the parent to be more involved in their child’s development, it’s a positive thing,” said Patronis.

House Democrat Mark Danish, a middle school science teacher, says the bill has nothing to do with parents.

“People look at, oh it’s going to help with the bad schools, but what it’s going to do is it’s going to turn it over to private companies to take over a school and it’s going to turn it into a profit making venture,” said Danish.

The bill may gain some traction from a Hollywood drama, released over the summer. Won’t Back Down tells the story of two moms who fight administrators to improve their children’s school.

If the bill passes, then schools receiving two consecutive F scores would be targeted. Fifty percent of parents at the school would then need to sign a petition asking the State Board of Education to turn over the keys to a charter school company.

A state house committee is giving the green light to a bill to repeal red light cameras. As Whitney Ray tells us, the debate pits privacy against safety.

Cameras are everywhere, on the sides of school buses, above businesses and at busy intersections. But it’s these cameras, the ones set up to catch red-light runners, that are sparking debate at the state capitol.

“If it is an issue of safety we are willing to disregard our entire constitutional fundamental principals,” said State Representative Carlos Trujillo.

Thursday, for two hours, state lawmakers argued the merits of red-light cameras. The debate pitted police against a retired state trooper, Republicans against their own party and brought two former fire fighters from each side of the isle together.

“I spent 26 years on the ground as a firefighter, cutting people out of horrible, horrible T-bone accidents,” said House Democrat Mike Clelland.

“I have spooned people out of cars as a result of T-bone accidents,” said Republican Representative Ed Hooper.

The bill in question would ban the cameras in Florida. It narrowly passed. After the debate I asked the committee chairman what’s at stake.

Reporter: Is this an issue of safety versus freedom?
Patronis: To a certain degree yeah I think so.

The fear is, in the near future there will be no more privacy because everything will be recorded. But supporters of the devices say they don’t mind giving up their privacy or yours if they can save just one life.

“I will say that any number of red light cameras is worth saving one life,” said Representative Alan Williams, a Democrat.

Opponents of the cameras, who aren’t afraid of big brother, oppose the repeal bill for financial reasons. They call the cameras a money trap.

“It’s not for safety it’s only for money revenues,” said Democrat Daphne Campbell.

The tickets cost drivers 158 dollars a piece. Last year 51 million dollars in fines were paid.

Florida’s voting problems were thrust into the worldwide spotlight last night during the President’s State of the Union Address. As Whitney Ray tells us, just hours after a 102 year old Miami woman was honored for waiting three hours to vote, state lawmakers in Florida moved on a bill to fix Florida’s voting problems.

She waited patiently as the president spoke; a virtue that served the 102 year well while trying to vote last November.

“She was told the wait to vote might be six hours. As time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, but whether folks like her would get to have their say,” The President said.

Desline Victor was honored during the President’s State of the Union Address for her dedication to the voting process.

“The crowd erupted in cheers when she was finally able to put on a sticker that read ‘I voted,’” The President added.

A long ballot and a cut in early voting days are to blame for Desiline’s wait. The problems were created by a change in state law.

Just hours after the president’s speech, a house committee here at the state capitol passed a reform bill. It would allow elections supervisors to restore early voting to 14 days on a county-by-county basis.

The Florida Senate also has an elections bill. In a one-on-one interview with Senate President Don Gaetz I asked how his chamber plans to fix the voting problems.

“Most counties in Florida had a flawless election and some just keep on having flawed elections,” said Gaetz.

Gaetz says there isn’t a one size fits all fix.

“Not everybody has the same problems. Early voting problems in Miami-Dade are very, very different than early voting problems in Holmes County,” said Gaetz.

With both chambers pushing election reform and the governor changing his tune on early voting, Florida’s next election will likely look a lot different.

The bill passed by the House Ethics and Elections Subcommittee today would also limit ballot questions to 75 words.

A series of websites set up to pair financially strapped women with rich old men has caught the ire of Florida lawmakers.

State Senator Darren Soto sent a letter to Florida’s Attorney General today… asking her to shut down the Sugar Daddy websites. One of the websites is called seekingarrangment.com. It claims to have registered millions of women seeking a sugar daddy, 12 girls for each guy. Soto says it’s a prostitution forum.

“The site bills itself to facilitate arraignments between wealthier older adults and college students who are hard up for money and it just creates an awful scenario that we don’t need here in Florida,” said Soto.

The website has garnered nationwide attention in recent weeks. Reportedly college girls are using the site as a way to pay rising tuition costs. http://www.seekingarrangement.com/joinfree.php

Divorcées may want to pay attention to Tallahassee over the next few months.

This afternoon a House committee passed a bill reforming alimony. The bill would give judges the option to end lifetime alimony, reexamine current alimony arrangements and set up guidelines for future divorce cases. Thomas Duggar with the Florida Bar calls the legislation a nightmare for divorcees and kids from broken families.

“It is very vindictive in my opinion. It is very hurtful for Florida families, especially for women who stay at home and raise kids or for men who stay at home and raise kids,” said Duggar.

The bill was filed last year, but lacked the support needed to become law.

Florida is one of only two states banning nurse practitioners from writing prescriptions for powerful drugs. As Whitney Ray tells us, the skilled nurses are also blocked from running emergency mental health checks on patients they think are homicidal.

Florida nurse practitioners are walking the state capitol warning lawmakers of an impending problem.

Tuesday, they visited Representative Daphne Campbell. The Miami Democrat sponsored a bill to allow them to perform emergency mental health checks on potentially dangerous patients.

“The patient says I want to commit suicide or homicide. You call the police. By the time police arrive that patient could kill themselves or kill the nurse,” said Campbell.

The nurses also want the authority to write prescriptions for controlled substances.

“The problem is we are not allowed to obtain a DEA license in Florida,” said Susan Lynch with the Florida Association of Nurse Practitioners.

“The vast majority of the meds that I’m restricted from prescribing, which by my training I am trained to prescribe, I can’t do,” said Patricia Wahrenberger a nurse practitioners from Orlando.

“The medications that are under the DEA controlled licensure would be things like testosterone for hormonal problems. Cough medicine like Codeine,” said Lynch.

Florida and Alabama are the only states in the union that don’t allow nurse practitioners to write prescriptions for controlled substances. Nurses rally here year after year to change the law. This year could be different.

The nurses say the aging baby boomer population and the insurance requirements under Obamacare will increase demand.

“We have a physician shortage,” Lynch said.

They say the best way to meet the demand is to give them more authority.

Florida TaxWatch and other fiscal groups support the changes. They say the state, hospitals and patients could save millions. Legislative leaders remain skeptical. Senate President Don Gaetz says the best way to fix the demand problem is to stop frivolous medical lawsuits so more doctors will want to work in Florida.

Most everyone at the state capitol has an opinion about what the President should says in his State of Union Address tonight. Governor Rick Scott wants to hear more about the President’s plan to create jobs.

“I hope it will be about jobs and education for Florida Families. We made a lot of progress as you know the last few years. The unemployment rate has come down faster than any state but one. We are putting the money in education, but we need the federal government to focus the same way,” said Scott.

The President of Florida’s small business association wants to hear about regulations and if any will be lifted.

“Let’s get this second term off right. Let’s start some dialogue with the business community, particularly small business owners, so we can take a look at the impact some of these regulations have on small businesses on Main Street,” said NFIB President Bill Herrle.

Senate President Don Gaetz would like to hear the President reach across the isle and talk about Democrats and Republicans working together. But even if the president does Gaetz won’t be listening, at least not as it happens.

Gaetz: I’ll be with Speaker (Will) Weatherford at an Episcopal school tonight talking about education and choices. So I hope to hear Speaker Weatherford tonight.

Reporter: So you’re not going to listen to the State of the Union?

Gaetz: I’ll listen to a replay of it because I’m interested in what the president has to say.

At least one Floridian will hear the speech lived and in person. A 102 year old Miami resident, who reportedly waited three hours to vote in the November election, will be recognized for her determination.

Representatives from Florida’s 28 private colleges and universities are asking state lawmakers to protect higher education options. A group of presidents and students from the schools were at the state capitol today meeting with legislative leaders and the governor. Ed Moore, President of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, says the trip to Tallahassee allowed them take their message straight to policymakers.

“The critical issue for us is the Florida Resident Access Grant. It’s a small grant that enables students to have a choice in higher education to help finance their education and make access possible,” Moore said.

The grant provides tuition assistance to Florida students who want to attend a private, not for profit universities.

By now you may have heard how expensive Obamacare could be but now we are hearing it could actually save the state money. As Whitney Ray tells us, a Georgetown researcher claims the Medicaid expansion optional under Obamacare could save Florida 100 million dollars a year.

A multi-billion dollar decision will be made at the state capitol this spring. The legislature must choose whether or not to expand Medicaid. The expansion would allow an extra million people to claim benefits.

But the people in charge of making the decision are the same folks who tried to stop Obamacare in court. They lost the larger lawsuit, but were able to make the Medicaid expansion optional for each state.

Since then Governor Rick Scott has been building a case against the expansion predicting state costs as high as 26 billion dollars.

State lawmakers heard testimony to the contrary Monday. Georgetown Researcher Joan Alker says Florida could actually save money by expanding Medicaid.

“It would be much better to give these people preventative and primary care upfront. They won’t have to bankrupt themselves and hopefully they won’t get as sick and wind up in the hospital,” said Alker.

The savings could be as high as 100 million dollars a year. The predication is based on the expansion offsetting other state costs like mental heath services, substance abuse programs and emergency room visits.

“We are spending some taxpayer dollars on these folks already so we think the state should take a careful look at it’s budget see where these costs are today, pick up the federal dollars to cover those folks primarily at federal cost and give them better care on the bargain,” said Alker.

The study fingers prevention as the main source of the costs savings. Still opponents aren’t ready to bite just yet. They say even though Florida may save money, the federal government will still have to borrow to pay the state.

Florida has the highest percentage of uninsured adults in the nation. Counting children there are nearly four million people in the state without coverage.