Every Wednesday and Saturday night, millions of Americans around the country watch Powerball host Sam Arlen announce what will hopefully make someone a very happy person. After Saturday night, the excitement moved to a Tampa suburb. A still unknown person purchased a single ticket worth 590-million dollars at a Publix grocery store.

We talked to Sam via video chat. “It never escapes my mine that everyone watching is clinging on to hope,” said Powerball Host Sam Arlen. >

As the excitement looms in Zephyrhills, things have appeared to return to normal in Tallahassee at Florida Lottery Headquarters. That’s where the ticket must be turned in to claim the cash. The winner has up to 60 days to claim the jackpot if they want the lump sum. They have up to 6 months if they want the annual payment.

Eight of every ten possible number combinations were purchased for the drawing. “We had tickets selling at a rate of almost 45,000 per minute or 745 per second,” said Secretary of Florida Lottery, Cindy O’Connell.

Even though the ‘big-winner’ hasn’t stepped forward, there were hundreds of other winners across Florida. “We had over 643 players that actually won prizes, two $1-million tickets were sold in addition,” said O’Connell.

This marks the 6th time the winning Powerball ticket has been sold in the state.

If you do have the winning ticket, the lottery suggests you to do four things. Sign the back of the ticket, put it in a safe deposit box; and get a lawyer and a CPA.

Scott signed the 450 page spending plan behind closed doors. Then he used a 58 page letter to explain why he objected to hundreds of millions in spending, much of it parochial for powerful lawmakers. “I’m responsible for 19.2 million people. I’m not responsible for one region by itself. I want to take care of all Floridians.”, says Governor Scott.

Gone are college buildings, courthouses, Sheriff’s stations, and most notably, tuition hikes for colleges and universities. “I worry about the cost of higher education.”, adds Rick Scott.

The tuition veto is seen as  favorable by students who offered opinions. “That’s really good. I think it’s really good. I think it’s great because tuition is expensive enough and I think raising it is ridiculous.”, says Kaela Coch, Spring Hill. Another student, Adriana Sanchez, adds “That’s good. I think we’re paying enough tuition.”

Scott tuition vetoes are legally questionable, but no one challenged the last governor who did the same thing.

“Well, I don’t anticipate a challenge, but if there is we’re going to fight it. This is the wrong thing to be raising tuition on Florida families.”, says Governor Scott.

Scott more than tripled the dollar amount for vetoes sought by the watchdog group Florida Taxwatch. But one item he left in the budget was four million for a film about Winter, the tailless dolphin in Clearwater.

“The decision for this was jobs, improve education, get the cost of living low.”, says Governor Scott.

And listing those three criteria is a statement he repeated seven times during his nine minute availability.

Prior to the current record, the highest jackpot was $587.5 million, which was set in November 2012.

Deputy Secretary of the Florida Lottery, David Bishop says state schools are already winning as more and more people spend money on the Powerball.

“The Florida education is already a winner. The series of draws generated an additional forty-one million dollars for education,” said Deputy Secretary of the Florida Lottery, David Bishop. “That means that’s more money in the classroom, more money for k-12, more money for colleges and universities.”

Florida has traditionally been one of the top selling states for the jackpot.

The Governor was in Tampa on Friday, touting a three-tenths of a percent drop in the state’s jobless rate. “As you know Hertz is moving their corporate office down to Lee county.”, says Governor Scott.

But what Scott wasn’t talking about was the 25 hundred jobs he turned down. Internet giant Amazon.com wants to build fulfillment centers in Florida in their quest to offer same day delivery. Under current law, the moment they closed the deal, Amazon would have had to start collecting sales taxes. They hoped to delay collecting taxes on internet sales until the centers opened in February.

After months of talking, Scott said no. “My job is to make sure I do the right thing for taxpayers of our state, and based on the opportunity I had at the time it didn’t make sense.”, says Rick Scott.

The talks are continuing. Scott is optimistic. Governor Scott says, “I haven’t seen something that I think is good for Florida’s tax payers, but I’m hopeful that Amazon will be here with their warehouses soon.”

Florida’s Retail Federation has been pushing for fairness between brick and mortar stores and internet sellers for almost a decade. They were actively involved in the Amazon negotiations; surprised when they fell apart. They say they won’t have anything to say until next week.

Legislation to allow the collection of taxes on internet sales, was amendment during the legislative session to accommodate the February date sought by Amazon. In the end, nothing passed. “It’s something that should probably have been done a decade ago.”, says Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, Internet Collection Bill Sponsor.

And because nothing passed, Florida will continue to  lose an estimated one to two billion dollars a year. A copy of the form can be found here: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/forms/2010/dr15mo.pdf.

Governor Rick Scott has until next Friday to sign off on the state’s 74 billion dollar budget. His staff has been sending letters to organizations set to receive state money, asking for justifications. And government watchdog says at least one hundred million of spending ought to be axed.

When the ceremonial handkerchief fell ending the legislative session, lawmakers took home the biggest budget in state history – 74 point five billion dollars. “We actually think the legislature showed some restraint with member projects,” says Kurt Werner, Taxwatch Budget Analyst

For more than 20 years, Florida Taxwatch has been combing through the hundreds of pages of detail and recommending which budget items are unusual, didn’t go through a process, or are just plain wasteful. “A 107 individual appropriations worth a 106 million dollars in tax payer money.”, says Rob Weisert, Taxwatch VP for Research.

On the list is 9 million for Embry Riddle, a private aeronautical university in Daytona Beach.14 million for a building at Gulf Coast State college in Panama City that ranked low on a priority list, and four million for a film project in Clearwater. “This is a hundred million dollars that could have gone to things like schools or healthcare. “, adds Weissert.

The 100 million plus could have been used to hire three thousand more teachers added three more days of back to school sales tax holidays. Almost completely fund the Governor’s manufacturing tax cut. Or the money could have been used to add thousands of kids to the early learning program.

Governor Rick Scott has the final say.

When lawmakers were still in session, Scott used the threat of vetoing budget items as leverage to get his priorities. “And we know that that horse trading has a role.”, says Werner.

But that could mean that Scott will have to let some money be spent that would’ve otherwise been vetoe

Senate President Don Gaetz responded with ascathing statement.

For Immediate Release

May 16, 2013

Contact:

Katie Betta

(850) 339-7087

Betta.Katherine@FLSenate.gov

Statement from President Gaetz Regarding Florida TaxWatch

Tallahassee–Florida Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) today released the following statement regarding Florida TaxWatch releasing their 2013 Turkey Watch Report.

“The TaxWatch list is built on the unconstitutional perversion that if an appropriation isn’t recommended by unelected agency officials it shouldn’t be considered in conference by elected legislators.  This is an arrogance of the elite who spend too much time in Tallahassee and Washington listening to the echoes of their own invented wisdom and thinking they’re hearing the voice of God.

“No agency put in its budget a $3,500 raise for Florida’s most effective teachers, yet that was funded.  No agency testified before the Legislature asking for a raise for state employees who had been without one for six years, yet we passed it.  No bureaucrat in the Department of Education asked for a career-technical pathway to a high school diploma or an online pathway to a university degree, but we funded them.  Not a whisper of criticism from TaxWatch on any of these and a hundred other similar items.  So, apparently, their indignation is not only ill-informed but selective.

“TaxWatch has dismissed as ‘turkeys’ mobile medical and dental units to bring health care to poor people in rural areas, documentation and education about the Holocaust, housing for disabled veterans, rehabilitation for severely wounded soldiers who want to return to duty, and replacement of 50 year old educational facilities that produce workforce for companies bringing jobs to Florida.  In most cases, those who put together this list couldn’t find these projects on a map and haven’t put five minutes into finding out anything about them.

“If our founders had shared the slavish devotion of Taxwatch to unchallenged decisions and dictates of faraway bureaucrats, we’d all be drinking English tea and singing God Save the Queen.  A good song.  But not an American song.  The Constitution obligates and empowers elected legislators, who come from communities and go home to communities, to write the state’s budget.  If TaxWatch staffers want to test their budget theories in the public square, let them stand up in front of conference committees and testify in public.  More than thirty public, open conference committee meetings were held during the recent legislative session.  Every item in the state budget was proposed and adopted during those public meetings.  Testimony was requested and welcomed at every meeting.  Not once did any person from TaxWatch ask one question, offer one idea or say one word.

“It is little wonder that TaxWatch is irrelevant 364 days a year.”

# # #

Visitors are spending billions of dollars, helping revive the states economy. “There is no secret the Florida tourism industry is experiencing some incredible momentum,” said VISIT FLORIDA President & CEO, Will Seccombe.

Coming off of two record years, the first three months of 2013 have seen an almost 5-percent increase. Last year: 21-point-8 million tourists have already visited the state this year. “That momentum is pretty hard to stop,” said Seccombe.

Travelers we talked with say they have been coming to Florida more frequently. “Once a year, twice a year. Something like that,” said Seguin, Texas resident, Ronald Miller.

Last year just over 91-million people visited the Sunshine State, up 2-point-3 percent. With an increase in tourism, it equals more jobs, because every 85 visitors support one Florida job. “(It’s a) huge impact to jobs,” said Seccombe. “We had an additional 35,000 people employed in the hospitality industry.”

Those jobs all created in the first quarter of this year, marking the 36th month of job growth in the tourism industry. It’s a trend likely to continue as people continue to visit. I like Florida, its where I plan to retire,” said Miller.

The number of international visitors is increasing even faster than domestic tourists with an increase of 11.3-percent increase.

Supporters say it will save lives, while medical professionals say it will wrongfully take away second amendment rights for a large group of Floridians.

A loophole in Florida law has allowed people diagnosed with mental illnesses to continue purchasing firearms, until lawmakers closed the loophole with just one dissenting vote. “If it’s just one and they save one life, it’s a significant bill,” said Representative Barbara Watson (D) Miami.

The bill gained support by Democrats, Republicans and the NRA. “Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people with mental illness saves lives,” said NRA past President Marion Hammer.

The legislation requires people who voluntarily commit themselves to give up their gun rights. “This only keeps mentally ill people who are determined to be dangerous from being able to buy guns,” she said.

But thousands have called or emailed the governor seeking a veto of the bill. “I hope the governor vetoes it,” said counselor Robert Carton. Health officials worry the legislation will keep people from seeking treatment. “It’s likely to create the opposite effect of what legislators are intending,” he said. “Not everybody with a mental illness is homicidal, not everybody with a mental illness is suicidal.”

90-thousand mentally ill Floridians are already prohibited from buying guns. If the governor signs the bill that number is expected to drastically increase. If signed into law, the mentally ill would be prohibited from buying a gun after July 1st.

With each flash of a red light camera, 158 dollars flows to state and local governments. We met Steven Walker opening his wallet.

Reporter: “Did you deserve it?”

Steven Walker: “Actually, I don’t think I did because how they had the light and of course with the cameras you just never know.”

83 Dollars of Steven’s fine will go to the state. The other 75 to local government.

The number of red light tickets being written in Florida has increased fourfold in just three years.

This past year, lawmakers tried to require standard yellow light times based on the speed limit at red light intersections. It didn’t pass. Attorney Frank Ranier is skeptical.

Reporter: “So you think they shortened the yellow lights?”

Frank Ranier, Attorney: “I’m not accusing anybody of anything, but you know in my experience that’s what I’ve seen.”

A study by the Department of Highway Safety, says side impact crashes are down 43 percent at red light intersections. Statewide traffic crashes are at a five year low.

Which is why the Florida League of Cities argued against getting rid of the cameras. “We actually hope that it’s a declining revenue source. We hope that over time we don’t have to keep writing tickets for that, because basically that would mean that people are stopping when they’re supposed to stop at red lights.”, says Scott Dudley, Florida League of Cities.

Lawmakers did make it harder to ticket right turn violators. They also doubled the time motorists have to appeal the citations, that helps the owner of the car if someone else was driving.

Identity Thieves Targeted by State

Florida’s welfare recipients are the latest target of identity thieves, stealing from those who need it most. The state says it needs to stop. “For some reason Florida has the highest per capita rate of reported identity theft in the nation,” said Department of Children and Families Secretary, David Wilkins.

Nine of the top 10 cities in the country for identity theft are right here in the sunshine state. “In 2011 and 2012 the division of public assistance fraud investigated just over 6,600 cases of suspected public assisted fraud,” said Deputy CFO over law enforcement, Jay Etheridge.

A new state program will now make it more difficult for thieves to steal people’s identities and gaining access to state benefits. It’s expected to save the state 60-million dollars a year. “You’re saving months and potentially years of money going out the door,” said Wilkins.

The state is reaching out to local police for help. “I want to put those individuals who choose to commit these crimes; I want to put them on notice. If you commit the fraud we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” said Tallahassee Chief of Police, Dennis Jones.

92-percent of cases that were investigated over the last two years were charged or disqualified for future state benefits.

Citrus Greening is a disease first spotted seven years ago has affected every nearly 10-percent of the orange production in the state.

According to Erin Gillepsie with the Department of Agriculture – the disease causes the orange to drop early, essentially making is useless…which will eventually drive the price up on orange juice at the grocery store. ”The orange crops go up and down every year,” said Department of Agriculture, Erin Gillepsie. “Again, this is the lowest year we’ve had without a hurricane or of freeze. The crops go up and down the prices haven’t changed too much. If we continue to lose the orange crop, of course the price of orange juice will go up.”

The state has received funding to fight this bacteria disease.