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Doctors, nurses, and activists were in Tallahassee today to draw attention to the health problems facing minorities. Minorities are less likely to have insurance, due to poverty. They’re also less likely to receive preventative care. The Secretary of the Florida Health Department Ana Viamonte-Ros says many health problems facing low income minorities face can be prevented with good oral hygiene.

“Minority populations are less likely to have access to the oral care that prevents and protects tooth decay, periodontal disease, gingivitis, oral cancer and others,” Viamonte-Ros said.

April is National Minority Health Month. This year’s focus is oral health.

Allstate insurance may soon find itself unable to write new policies in Florida. The First District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee Friday upheld the states right to suspend the insurer from writing new policies until it turns over documents the state wants to see. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the company may get a second chance.

Hear it here: State Battle With Allstate Continues

The ruling leaves Allstate still in business and able to sell new policies, for now. The First District Court of Appeals did uphold the states right to cancel Allstate’s certificate to sell new business, but it is giving the company 15 days to ask for another opinion. Until that second opinion is issued it will be business as usual. Still, the State said the ruling sends a message.

“I think it’s important for people to know that this is not about a rate hearing. This is about corporate behavior and corporate activity and how and were they involved and did this company collude with associations,” said Kevin McCarty, The State Insurance Commissioner.

In its opinion the court sited the January hearing in which witnesses were uncooperative. The court noted that witnesses answered some questions in part, but were unable to answer probing question about the subject required by the subpoenas. The state said upholding its right to see every document not only sends a message to Allstate, but every company.

“We feel very strongly that it’s important for regulators to have free and full access to all of the records of an insurance company. That is a term and condition for doing business,” said McCarty.

Allstate said its has submitted nearly 4,000 pages to the state.

Last fall, Actor Dennis Quaid’s twins survived an overdose. It became national news. But here in Florida, another child was given ten times what he should have been given and he quietly died. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the family is now trying to turn the tragedy into something
positive.

Hear it here: Infant Dies At Hospital, Parents Hope Son’s Death Helps Others

By all accounts, Sebastian Ferrero was a happy, healthy three year-old. His only problem, not growing fast enough. So his parents took him to Shands.

“It was supposed to be, you know, a simple four hour test,” said Sebastian’s mother Luisa Ferrero.

Halfway into the procedure, Sebastian showed stress. His mother questioned the doctors and the dosage.

“But she was reassured the dosage was appropriate,” said the infants father Horst Ferrero.

An emergency room visit and 48 hours later Sebastian was dead. The three year-old had been given 60 grams instead of 6 grams of a substance used
to test growth hormones. Now the family wants to turn their grief into action. They have offered to match up to a million dollars toward the construction of a children’s hospital. They are also on a campaign to make sure parents’ voices are heard.

“A child can not say ‘can you check to dose to see if it is correct.’ So
if a parent is asking those questions, they must be heard,” said Horst.

“We don’t want another family to go through we are going through and
what Sebastian went through,” said Luisa.

Medical errors kill an estimated 98,000 people in the U.S. every year. Sebastian is the face of one of them. The family did received 850,000 dollars from the Hospital. They are using that money as well as some of their own to match private donations. You can learn more about the case on the family web site at
http://www.sebastianferrero.org/

In 2006, about 120 Floridians died in wrecks in construction zones on Florida’s roads. A traffic cone for every person who died in road work zones that year was set in front of the Capitol Friday, to recognize Work Zone Safety Week. A father and son were killed last week while working on a road in Wildwood. The boss of the two men who were killed said his crew is still pretty shaken up.

“We had more people report not to come to work since the accidents happened because they’re scared. They’re scared of dieing, being badly injured. They’re scared,” said William Bachschmidt owner of DAB Constructors.

Only six of the nearly 120 people killed in road zone accidents were road workers.

A recent poll suggests Republicans, Democrats and Independent voters want lawmakers to ignore party lines and do something about climate change. The study was released Friday in Tallahassee. The poll suggests 70 percent of Florida Voters believe humans are causing the planet to heat up. Jerry Karnes, the Florida Director of the Environmental Defense Fund, said the poll suggests Republicans are catching up with democrats on their feelings about global warming and what should be done to save the ozone.

“We believe the Republican Party is going back to its roots, which is, they are the founding fathers of Americas conservation movement. They’re getting back to their trajectory and getting back to their history,” Karnes said.

About 80 percent of voter polled said they would cast ballots for a candidate that believes that climate change is a scientific fact.

Black lawmakers joined in Tallahassee Friday to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King on the 40th anniversary of his death. State Representatives and Senators gathered at the Martin Luther King Tree in the Capitol Courtyard to remember the civil rights leader. Representative Curtis Richardson said if it wasn’t for Dr. King, he wouldn’t be a lawmaker.

“We wouldn’t be where we are but for the life that Dr. King lived and what he sacrificed for all of us so all of us could have a set at the table of government in our great state and be a part of the decision making process and shape policies that shape all Floridians,” said Richardson.

Richardson said the state apologizing for slavery is a good start, but more needs to be done to help minorities in Florida’s criminal justice system.

A plan in front of the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission puts power to raise local taxes in the hands of the State. City and county leaders from across Florida gathered in Tallahassee today to warn against the plan. As Whitney Ray tells us opponents of the plan say it would ruin the economy.

Hear it here: County, City Leaders Say Tax Cap Plan Would Destroy Economy

Decisions on how much money to spend for local roads, emergency health care services, and even local school funding would be made in Tallahassee under a plan being floated by a powerful commission. Education leaders say state lawmakers don’t know what each individual school districts need.

“It’s a one size fits all amendment,” Wayne Blanton with the Florida School Boards Association. “You don’t have any flexibility through out the state, and Florida’s one of the most diverse state in the nation and we have to have flexibility.”

City and County Leaders agree. They joined in opposition to the newest draft of the Tax Payer Bill of Rights. The plan caps tax increases at the rate of inflation and puts the power to raise taxes in the hands of lawmakers. Proponents of a Taxpayer Bill of Rights say local Governments haven’t been responsible with taxpayer money. Some said is about power hunger lawmakers who want more control. County Commissioners say they’re not interested in a power struggle.

“I don’t care about power, what I care about is a library system, getting the potholes fixed, clearing out the ponds, and providing the services that make a community work,” said Leon County Commissioner Bob Rackleff.

A Taxpayer Bill of Rights was adopted more than a decade ago in Colorado. Voters choose to postpone the plan. Carol Hedges, a financial analyst from Denver, said if a taxpayer bill of rights is written in to Florida law business would suffer.

“We’ve seen the attractiveness of our business climate decline because we don’t have quality roads. The school system is under funded,” said Hedges.

If a Taxpayer Bill of Rights is approved by the commission, the battle over who decides tax increases would be up to voters. The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission will review the Taxpayer Bill of Rights Tomorrow in Tallahassee. If 17 of the 25 members approve the plan it will be on the November ballot.

Cranes lift thousands of pounds, hundreds of feet above city streets, but Florida doesn’t have statewide regulations for crane operators. Legislation filed in Tallahassee, would set statewide certification standards for people wanting to operate cranes. Last week a crane accident in Miami killed two people. City leaders there want to adopt an ordinance to regulate how and where cranes are used. Crane Operators say local governments setting their own rules would hurt the industry.

“The potential for different regulations would cause some problems. If I’m working Tallahassee and I move to Miami to work tomorrow I know the same standard I’d have to work under tomorrow,” said Bruce Whitten with the Florida Crane Owners Council.

Shortly after the Miami accident, Governor Charlie Crist toured the construction site. Crist says he would support statewide standards.

While the Democratic National Committee has vowed to seat a Florida delegation, no decision on how to award the delegates has been reached. Yesterday the DNC released a joint statement with Florida’s Democratic Party vowing to work together to seat the delegates. While the national and state parties seem to be working out their differences, the final decision will have to be approved by both Democratic presidential hopeful. State Party Spokesman Mark Bubriski says the Florida Democrats are focused on coming up with a plan to appease both candidates.

“We understand the positions of both campaigns as well, so you know our purpose is to have the voters of Florida recognized in the process and be involved in the national convention so whatever we can do to help bring these two campaigns together on a decision on this we are going to do that,” said Bubriski.

Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller says having the DNC’s support doesn’t bring Florida any closer to a resolution.

A St. Petersburg man who spent 24 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit is one step closer to being a millionaire tonight. Alan Crotzer went to prison in 1982 and was freed in 2006 after DNA proved he didn’t commit the crime. By a 33 to 5 vote, the Florida Senate sent a 1.25 million dollar claims bill to the governor this afternoon. After the vote, Crotzer hugged his wife and children. He says the only thing that allowed him to get through the ordeal was his mother’s belief that he was innocent. She died before her son was freed.

“It’s about my mother. She always said when God fixes things, he’ll fix it right. And she’s just not here. She’s just not her man,” said Crotzer.

The only thing between Crotzer and the money is the governor’s signature. Righting the wrong was part of the governor’s state of the state address. He is expected to sign the claims bill as soon as it hits his desk.

There were some tense moments on the Florida State University campus at lunch this afternoon. The bomb squad was called out after a maintenance worker walked by a car in a parking garage and saw a briefcase with the word A-Bomb scrawled across it. No explosives were found. Police later determined the briefcase belonged to a student.

“It belonged to a 17 year old student here locally. The brief case just a few minutes ago was found to be empty, nothing inside. Apparently the kid’s name, nickname was A-bomb and that was found on the suitcase,” said FUS Policeman Lt. Jason Trumbower.

The moral of the story, pick your nickname carefully.

Every homeowner in Florida is paying an assessment to cover the losses of the failed Poe Insurance Companies. But now the state says in a law suit that company officials and directors milked the company for more than 100 million dollars as the companies were going belly up. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, if the state is successful, it will mean less for future insurance policies.

Hear it here: State Seek Money From Fallen Insurer

As hurricane after hurricane struck the state in 2004 and 2005, A lawsuit filed by the state says executives at the Poe Insurance Companies were striking as well, milking the company assets for themselves. The suit alleges that for more than a year, officers and directors drained more than a hundred million dollars from the company, money that should have gone to pay claims.

Because the companies went belly up every homeowners policy in the state has A 20 dollar surcharge for every thousand dollars a homeowner pays in premiums the lawsuit seeks to recover more than 144 million.

The assets really belong to the policy holders and those people who have
Claims with the companies. In a statement, the Attorney General’s office said it stands ready to investigate any allegations of criminal activity if the CFO makes a request.

The lawsuit also alleges the POE companies mislead regulators about the company’s financial health as executives were paying themselves huge dividends. Bob Lotane was at the office of Financial Services when the state was trying to close POE down.

“They were not willing to do down. They weren’t willing to let us in the door. And once we did get in, they were not exactly welcoming,” said Lotane.

Florida insurance buyers won’t get a refund if the suit is successful, but the suit may help offset future surcharges that will be added to everyone’s policy because of the Poe Company losses. The suit is expected to take about a year to settle. The next step is for the company to respond in writing.

Florida ranks number two nationally in the number of home foreclosures. Bills designed to help those losing their homes are bottled up at the capitol and as Whitney Ray tells us, several dozen people at risk of losing their homes took their anger to the Tallahassee.

Hear it here: Taskforce Provides Hope To People Drowning In Unpaid Loans

The front steps of the capitol looked like a camp ground Wednesday. Angry Floridians caught in foreclosure set up tents to highlight their losing battle with lenders.

“I got a 35,000 dollar mortgage that mortgage has now ballooned to 115,000 dollars.”

Carrying signs and chanting, the angry group marched around the capitol. Carolyn Patmon got involved a year ago after a lender offered to buy her mortgage with the promise of a lower interest rate.

“They sought me out. I wasn’t going out looking for anybody. You know. And they talk to you smooth as silk,” said Patmon.

Desperate for lending reform, the group marched into the capitol for the last meeting of a task force investigating the state’s mortgage crisis. Three bills aimed at saving homes from foreclosure were filed this year. State Representative Geraldine Thompson filed a bill requiring lenders to give borrowers 90 days to discuss changing their loans, before the lender could foreclose. Thompson said she doubts her bill will be heard.

“The reason we don’t see more of these kinds of bills moving is because we’re talking about people who don’t have the kind of money to hire lobbyist,” said Thompson.

While the foreclosure bills may not make it to the governor, the taskforce recommendations will, giving hope to people who fear they could be living in tents. The Task Force will give its recommendations to the Governor, Senate President and Speaker of the House later this month.

Governor Charlie Crist and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marion played catch at the state capitol today as the two teamed up to fight for coverage of autism on health insurance policies. Marino will serve on a task force set up by the governor. Marion has a 19 year old autistic son. The quarterback said his resources allowed him to get help for his son and others should have the same opportunity.

“I think it’s going to mean is that a lot of people that don’t have opportunities to get services, treatments, and the help they need for their family to succeed in life is going to come true. It’s going to give them opportunities. It’s going to give them opportunities to transition into a regular job later in life. My son is 19 now. He’ll be in a position to have a job…and be very successful in life, and I think it’s because of early intervention. I was able to give him a lot of services that a lot of people need today, and it’s not being paid for by insurance companies,” said Marino.

The task for report is due in March.

Efforts to change the state song, “Old Folks at Home”, are bogging down at the state Capitol. The song makes references to “old darkeys” and is considered offensive to many. Even Governor Charlie Crist refused to play the song at his inauguration. Opposition to the change is coming from Senators whose district contains the Suwannee River. Senator Steve Oelrich said the state shouldn’t give up on the song.

“It would be appropriate, I think, to change whatever offending lyrics people have and keep the song, mainly because of the melody,” said Oelrich.

But others Like Senator Al Lawson say Florida has outlived the lyrics.

“So now we have a song that needs to be changed, and I thing we ought to
fall in line just like we did before and get rid of a song that is very offensive to everybody. It shouldn’t be a big deal,” said Oelrich.

Time is running out in the session. The final four weeks will concentrate mostly on cutting the state budget. Not getting the bill heard would be a victory for those who like the song.