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Statistically, Nearly 1 of every 4 teenagers in this room has been bullied.

 

“Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, today is the day I’m going to be bullied and picked on,” says rising-JuniorDaltonSettlemire.

 

Rising Junior, Dalton Settlemire says he’s seen it all: everything from bullying in the halls at, to his classmates being bullied online. “I’ve probably seen types of bullying that doesn’t even have names yet. It really is unfortunate,” said Settlemire.

 

“It’s a lot easier for kids to sit behind a computer screen and be more confident or harsher to their peers than they would be face to face,” said rising-Junior Wyatt Navarro.

 

Floridalawmakers just expanded a 2008 anti-bullying law to include cyberbullying and it includes some activities that take place off of school grounds.  “It looks at a student’s actions, words and context they may be communicating digitally outside of school,” said Erin Watson.

 

Many worry the change invades a student’s privacy. Both sides are worried how the law will be enforced.

 

“For example, say I’m at home sending mean messages to a fellow classmate on Facebook,” reported Matt Horn. “The only way the school can discipline a student is if there is proof I am threatening the other student and it’s a disruption at school.”

 

“I think whatever kind of punishment is deemed necessary is necessary in that situation,” said Settlemire.

 

Regardless supporters say this is a step forward into protectingFlorida’s teens from online bullies.

Students from across Florida are in Tallahassee taking advantage of a national program: Boys State.

 

 

The program is a comprehensive one-week leadership course for students entering their senior year of high school in state and local government. Students from every county in Florida are represented in the program. Rising Junior, Wyatt Navarro says it’s a great way to learn parts of leadership with peers across the state.

 

”We are helping each other out learning facets of leadership or great life qualities and overall government tactics and campaign tactics,” said Naples rising-Junior Wyatt Navarro.

 

The week long even runs through Saturday.

Floridians may finally get to take advantage of the vast amounts of sunshine to power their houses. A new state law will offer incentives for homeowners to switch to solar energy. As Matt Horn reports, the law is a good first step, but there is still work to be done.

 

Governor Rick Scott toured start up company Bing energy. State funds are helping the company grow. Another new state law also approved by Scott will help the sunshine state live up to its name…offering incentives for people to switch to solar.

”They have to look at what works for their family. We need to get a return on investment,” said Governor Rick Scott.

In 2008 – Florida voters approved a measure forbidding a property appraiser from raising a homes taxable value because the homeowner installed solar. But Lawmakers ignored the mandate until this past spring. Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda sponsored the measure that hadn’t gone any where for four years.

”We’ve done the right thing by the people, we’ve respected their will. We’ve respected what they’ve wanted to do and it’s going to be good for the state of Florida and good for the environment,” said Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda.

Solar Energy companies call the legislation a step in the right direction. ”A lot more incentives and we’ll see a lot more business come to Florida,” said Al Simpler.

Supporters still worry Florida hasn’t done enough.

”The three surrounding states, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia all have more incentive than the state of Florida,” said Simpler.

But the new law will allow Floridians to take full advantage of the sun – and save money in the long run for doing it.

Millions of healthy animals are euthanized in shelters across the country. A new state law will inform people how many are put down in their community monthly.

Every year tens of thousands of animals needing a home are killed in Florida. This past legislative session, Jack Cory pushed lawmakers to be kinder to animals. The idea behind a new law that took effect July first is to make publically funded animal shelters post how many animals are euthanized monthly. The goal: to educate the public and encourage adoption.

”We need to make sure that through-out Florida, we have correct data and accurate data and make sure its available to the public,” said Florida Senator, Bill Montford.

”I think the new law can be effective. I think its really important all shelters, rescues, non-profits learn from,” said Erika Leckington.

Across Florida, more animal shelters are becoming no-kill shelters. Their goal is a 90 percent adoption rate. Supporters say the changes will save money.

“There is no excuse, we don’t have every county and shelter no-kill,” said Jack Cory.

While there is support for the new law, there are also concerns shelters won’t post the numbers. That’s because there are no penalties for doing nothing. Supporters are planning to work closely with lawmakers in the upcoming years to strengthen the law and save man’s best friend and his arch rival…the cat, from death.

Some are calling it the dirtiest deal in the last 20 years. Others say it will save the state millions of dollars a month. As Matt Horn reports, the privatization of the prison health care is moving full steam ahead – and thousands are waiting to see if they’ll be employed as a result.

On paper privatizing the prison health care system looks like a good deal. ”If we can provide a great service at a better price, then we ought to be doing that,” said Governor Rick Scott.

A two-year legal showdown may prove otherwise. A recent 1st District Court of Appeals sided with the state. It will allow Florida to outsource the prison health care system, leaving nearly 2-thousand state workers in limbo.

In a November 2012 interview, employee Joanne Mendez said, “They’re afraid that they’re going to lose the only job they have right now.”

State employees received a letter from the Department of Corrections saying their position will no longer be available at the state. It went on to say the contract with the private companies provides employees will have the ‘right to interview and first consideration.’

“It is possible that not all of the employees will be hired by them,” Reporter Matt Horn asked Ann Howard with the Department of Corrections. Howard responded, “It is possible that all of them will not want to. Some of them may want to retire; some may want to go into a different type of private sector; some of them may remain with the state.”

The state employees union has accused the Legislature of doing a dirty deal. Arguing a 14-member panel shouldn’t have the power to make a decision for the entire legislative body. Opponents worry it will devastate many smaller Florida communities.

”What happens when you reduce salaries, when you reduce hours and increase the opportunities to be left out in the cold, that’s not good economic stability,” said attorney Alma Gonzales.

Its unknown how many of the nearly 2-thousand employees will be hired by the private companies. The two out of state private companies are expected to take the helm of providing prisoners health care later this year.

The private companies are required to offer comprehensive care for nearly 100-thousand inmates’ 7-percent less than what the state paid in 2010.

It’s been one of the darkest weeks for firefighters after 19 died in the line of duty in Arizona Sunday.

Florida State Forrester Jim Karels is no stranger to the tragedy of losing firefighters.

In 2011, Karels spoke about the two Florida firefighters lost in a tragic wildfire, ”Yesterday was a tragic day in Florida, Division of Forestry and all of our firefighters.”

Now Florida’s top forestry firefighter will lead the probe into what went wrong in Arizona when 19 firefighters died on Sunday.

”It’s a tragedy to lose anyone, but to lose so many at once, our hearts just break for them,” said Florida Dept. of Agriculture Communications Director Erin Gillespie about the fire in Arizona. “We know what it feels like to lose someone in the line of duty.”

Nationally recognized, Arizona state officials called Jim Karels to lead the independent investigation. He will use his 30 years of experience to help find answers for those in the Southwest. He landed in Arizona at midnight eastern time Wednesday morning.

Florida is no stranger to losing firefighters in the line of duty. Since 2000, 50 have been added to the Wall of Honor; including two Karels oversaw.

The Yarnell Fire had burned about 13 square miles, destroying nearly 200 homes and prompted hundreds to evacuate. Sunday was the deadliest day for firefighters in American since 9-11; and the deadliest in a wildfire since 1933. Karels will now work around the clock in this investigation.

“He felt like it was the right thing to do and wants to figure our what happened so we can prevent the loss of any lives,” said Gillespie.

It’s unknown how long Karels will be in Arizona, but fire officials hope the investigation will keep any tragedy like the Yarnell Fire from happening again.

Florida is in one the best situations in a long time related to fire danger. Nearly the entire state is in the lowest risk for wildfire danger, except a few counties in the Panhandle; which are expected to get several inches of rain this week.

Millions of Americans have an intellectual disability, for years they were known as living with mental retardation; a new law in Florida is changing that.

23-year-old Brittany Norman works like most other adults in America. Her hard work is also helping put an end to a stigma for people who are intellectually disabled.

One day at school Norman recalls, “One of my friends called me retard, I told the teacher about them to stop. So, I told him do not say the ‘r-word’ or I’ll tell the teacher.”

The Arc, a group for people living with intellectual disabilities, has worked to change the stigma by eliminating the ‘r-word’. The organization says the word was outdated and offensive.

The Arc’s Executive Director Debroah Linton said, ”It’s really a matter of respect there’s a long history in this field with different types of diagnostic labels.”

The group lead by example three years ago, changing its name from the Association for Retarded Citizens to the Arc of Florida.

”For three years advocates have been trying to change the wording of the law. This year with the help from people living with intellectual disabilities it passed unanimously.” Linton said.

Norman met with lawmakers this past legislative session; sharing stories she endured growing up.

“The story for them, they were sad about the ‘r-word’.”

Her work helps make Florida the 40th state in the nation to remove the word “retarded” from all of its state laws. President Barack Obama signed a similar law, called Rosa’s law in 2010 removing the r-word in federal policy.

When asked about the law being passed Linton said, ”I’m ecstatic we’ve now joined the rank of the rest of the states to say respect and we want everyone included in our society,”

Even though their condition may not change, how people view the intellectually disabled may change if their no longer considered retarded. The phrase will change to intellectually disabled for 22 laws, the meanings of the statues will remain the same.

The latest Supreme Court ruling on voter rights has civil rights activists outraged. Now, Florida civil rights groups are planning to fight back.

Dale Landry remembers his grandmother trying to vote before the voting rights act was the law of the land. ”I was there when they used the “N” word and called her the “N” gal and what are you doing? Young, white boys, teens, they spit. And during that time you best not do anything,” said the NAACP’s Dale Landry.

Last Tuesday, the U-S Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – the law determined which areas in the country needed federal permission before changing any voting laws. Five Florida counties were on the list. ”We know all to well that we’ve had irregularities in our voting system,” said State Representative Alan Williams.

Florida passed major changes to state election law in 2011. Then spent nearly a million dollars before getting federal approval. With the Supreme Court ruling, activists say they are going to push Congress to make sure voters are protected. ”We’re not going to stand back, we’re going to continue to fight the fight,” said activist Jeanette Wynn.

The state says the Supreme Court ruling will put all 67 counties on a level playing field and will help save the state hundreds of thousands of dollars anytime there is an election law change. ”Rather than 5 counties needing to go through an addition federal approval process, they’re going to be able to implement laws the same time as the rest of Florida’s counties,” said Florida Department of State’s Chris Cate.

Florida has since reversed the 2011 voting law changes because they created long lines and other problems.

The Voting Rights Act blocked more than 1,000 proposed changes to voting laws across the country from 1982 to 2006.

Dozens of changes on how Florida schools are graded have superintendents across the state working with the Department of Education on coming to a solution.

A major concern for the superintendent’s is such a high number of changes to how schools are graded will have a drastic impact on the number of schools with a failing grade.

The superintendents want the state board of education to lessen the severity of the grading; saying the public will not understand why school grades dropped even as test scores improve.

Superintendent Malcolm Thomas says it’s important the changes have a positive impact on classrooms. ”We need to make sure that as we move forward and we’re implementing so many changes that its fair, that its understandable and that it aligns with what we know is happening in our classroom,” said Thomas.

Florida grades its public schools on student success and improvements on standardized tests.