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Governor Charlie Crist is asking lawmakers to balance the state budget with money that is sitting in limbo.

Florida is still waiting to find out if it will get 2.4 billion federal stimulus dollars for schools. The US Department of Education still hasn’t sent the state an application to apply for money. The state may not know if it qualifies for the cash until the end of the month. Crist say the application will come any day.

“It was anticipated that maybe even by today we would get the actually application and it has been a little bit of a frustration, but that’s okay, we’re patient and I know the commissioner has worked really hard with his staff to be ready to respond to that application when we get it,” said Crist.

The stimulus dollars are being withheld as punishment because state lawmakers cut education spending too deeply.

The economy is considered the number one priority by voters and most state lawmakers. Both the House and Senate in Tallahassee created select committees to stimulate the economy, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the House Committee has never gotten around to meeting.

Lawmakers say the economy is a top priority, but on the house side, a sign on the door is all that exists for the select Policy Council on Strategic and Economic Planning, There’s never been a meeting.

Keith Fitzgerald had high hopes when named to the committee.

“Never had a notice. Never met,” Fitzgerald (D-Sarasota) said. “I think it’s a very big topic and would love to sit down and have a conversation.”

We asked Carlos Lopez-Cantera, one of 14 Republicans on the Committee, why it’s never met.

“You’d have to ask the chairman that,” Lopez-Cantera (R-Miami) said.

We tried, but the chairman was nowhere to be found.

In contrast, the Senate select committee on the economy has met seven times, and it’s held three public hearings.

In addition to meeting, the Senate Select Committee on the Economy is actually passing bills. One makes it easier to get permits, another streamlines job creation; a third creates tax credits. Chairman Don Gaetz is proud of the work.

“Also, we have legislation that we birthed out of this committee, that unclogs the research phase for solar projects,” Gaetz (R-Niceville) said.

When created, the House committee was charged with taking a long range view of the state’s economy…something that will be hard to do with less than three weeks left in the session.

House Spokesperson Jill Chamberlain provided the following response:

“The Select Council’s charge is to  develop ideas, recommend proposals and evaluate legislation to address the state’s LONG RANGE challenges and opportunities, and to complete its work by November 2010.  The state’s fiscal condition for this fiscal year and 09-10 is so imperiled, absent solutions to meet today’s urgent needs, that the leadership its devoting its time and energy first to solving the immediate problems. There will be enough  time for the Council to look at long-range possibilities between now and November, 2010. (and beyond)”.

Plans by Florida State University to close its Panama City Florida campus have generated some nasty emails between lawmakers and FSU President TK Wetherell. Representative Jimmy Petronis of Panama City suggested FSU look at closing foreign campuses before looking to his hometown. In the end, Patronis thinks the announced closure is a bluff.

“I feel that the campus is safe,” Patronis said. “At this time of year, budgets are tight. We’ve got 18 days to go and it is the leadership of the state university system and Florida State for that matter, to do everything possible to hold all of our campuses harmless. And if threatening a domestic campus is a way to get our attention, that’s part of their strategy.”

FSU has announced it is closing as many as 21 programs to meet declining funding.

Legislation creating Sunrail, the commuter rail project stretching across four central Florida counties, got sidetracked Wednesday when more than 70 people showed up to a committee hearing to speak.
The contentious issue has been touch and go all session, but it picked up one Democratic vote today when a two dollar rental car surcharge was added to the bill to help fund other rail projects. Sen. Andy Gardiner of Orlando is unsure if the project will stay on track.

“If the rental car surcharge stays in place this is a very good agreement for South Florida, because tri-rail eventually wants to expand to the tri rail line,” Gardiner said. “In order to do that, they need this language. Not just the rental car surcharge, they need the liability language as well. We’re going to try to tell all our colleagues that and we’re going to do our best.”

The rental car surcharge’s biggest enemy is Governor Charlie Crist. He has said he will only let it pass if it includes a referendum by voters.

Changes to the Class Size Amendment got tentative approval from the State House Wednesday on a partisan vote.

The amendment would allow more students in classes at all levels, but measure the caps at the school level instead of by individual classes. Sponsor Will Weatherford says the measure maintains the framework of what voters approved in 2002.

“The integrity of the constitutional amendment that passed in 2002 will not be changed,” Weatherford said. “We will still maintain a very rigorous class size requirement in this state. It simply gives our principals, our school boards, and our superintendents the ability and the tools to manage their schools. That’s all this does. It is completely for them. It is not to water down the class size amendment, it is to make it workable and better.”

Lawmakers have tried to alter the amendment since it was approved. The only difference this time is the economy.

Boats and airplanes purchased in Florida would be limited to no more than twenty five thousand dollars in sales taxes.

The idea is to attract the purchases of super yachts and planes, who will then be retrofitted in state facilities. Sponsor Tom Grady says it will create jobs the state is losing.

“The universe of boats and planes that we’re looking for are boats and planes that are not here,” Grady said. “They’re not in Florida. They’re flagged in the Cayman Islands. They’re flagged in the Bahamas. They’re flagged in the Caribbean, somewhere. I want them flagged here. I want them to pay taxes here. I want them to employ people here. I want them to paint their boats here, fix their engines here. I want that all done here in Florida.”

Other legislation would being considered would cut the state sales tax rate on planes to three percent.

The father of the state’s class size amendment is fighting legislation to weaken the standards. Congressman and US Senate hopeful Kendrick Meek is meeting with state lawmakers in Tallahassee. As Whitney Ray tells us, Meek says lawmakers are using the economy as an excuse to change the state constitution.

Since class size restrictions took effect in 2003, middle school teacher Vivian Garner says her students are learning more.

“They are much more content. Their attitudes, they’re more involved. They feel like they are getting much more attention from their teachers,” said Garner.

Right now schools can meet the requirements using averages. By 2010, classes will be measured individually. Under Representative Will Weatherford’s proposal classes could get larger.

“All my bill does is give a little bit of flexibility and it saves the state money,” said Weatherford.

Congressman Kendrick Meek championed the class sized amendment in 2002. Meek say the economy isn’t a good enough reason to change the requirements.

“I just want to make sure the economy is not an excuse of why they have to roll it back now,” said Meek.

Class size standards could get easier to meet because Florida’s student population is on a downward spiral.

Early estimates show Florida’s student population will decrease by about 10-thousand next school year. The exodus could improve the student to teacher ratio, that is if budget cuts don’t force more layoffs.

If the legislation to limit the class size restrictions passes, voters would have to approve the deal in the 2010 election. If that happens, Meek could get more recognition in the US Senate race by battling against the changes.

It took a speaker phone and a long distance call for the governor to conduct state business at the capitol Tuesday.

His critics call him “Empty Chair Charlie” and today the name fit. Bad weather keep Governor Charlie Crist’s plane grounded in Tampa. Crist joined the state cabinet meeting via speaker phone. The delay kept Crist out of a room full of political opportunists. Every member of the state cabinet is, at the very least, “considering” running for governor in 2010 if Crist opts to run for the US Senate.

The state is honoring firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Three lost their lives last year. Florida’s Chief Financial Office and State Fire Marshal Alex Sink joined firefighters at the state capitol to ring the “last call” bell. It rang three times to honor the brave men and women who lost their lives fighting fires. Sink said it’s important to recognize their sacrifice.

“This is a ceremony we do every year to honor fallen firefighters. Part of the ceremony is to bring representatives of the fire service here to Tallahassee and the central part of it is that we ring the bell three times which is significant in the fire service because it means the firefighter’s duty has been done,” Sink said.

This is Florida Firefighters Appreciation week. Sponsors of legislation to create a Firefighter’s Memorial Flag were also on hand for the event.

Speaker Larry Cretul made a rare public appearance Tuesday.

The Speaker met with about 40 participants from the Leadership Gainesville class which also heard from Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp. Cretul spoke about budget difficulties and told the leadership class he attended Class 30, which he says made him more aware of the community.

“The thing about the leadership program and you’re probably experiencing it right now, it gives you an opportunity to take, through your eyes, a very different look at your community,” Cretul said. “Looks that you may have never have experienced if you never attended the leadership program.”

The House Speaker asked the class for their prayers as lawmakers move forward with difficult decisions. On the budget deficit, Cretul says the house has not come around to the idea of new revenue “yet.”

Prepaid College is taking a new twist. 

Legislation approved by the state Senate Tuesday in Tallahassee would allow parents to send their kids to private, for profit technical schools. Senator Stephen Wise of Jacksonville said every child should have an opportunity.

“You ought to be able to go to truck driving schools,” Wise said. “You ought to be able to go to other kinds of schools besides technical colleges or community colleges or the university. So that’s the motive behind where I am going on this.”

Wise said he is seeking private funding to provide low income students with privately funded pre paid scholarships, but says the plan is several years from fruition.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers roared into the Capitol Courtyard Tuesday carrying the torch for the Special Olympics.

More than 21 hundred people are expected to participate in the Summer Games, which begin May 15th at Walt Disney World. Supported by law enforcement, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Walt McNeil told the officers they have a lot in common with those who will participate.

“From a law enforcement family, we embrace them because we understand full well how much courage it takes when you are challenged,” McNeil said. “This year we are challenged in our state with economic circumstances beyond any of our control. But I think we can take a great lesson from these special Olympians, despite the odds, despite the circumstances, they endeavor to carry on.”

For more information on the Special Olympics go to: http://www.specialolympicsflorida.org.

Voters may soon have the chance to swap higher property taxes for up to a penny increase in the sales tax.

A proposal approved by a House Committee in Tallahassee today would allow voters to fund local fire and rescue services with a penny hike in the sales tax. Ron Beesley of the Palm Beach Fire Department says it is a win win for voters and says the key is letting them know how the money will be spent.

“It’s revenue neutral,” Beasley said. “It is not additional revenue for your fire department. It is a funding stabilization source. You also have to make sure they understand that 100 percent of it stays in your county. It actually stays in the county for which services are provided in that county.”

Plans for increased gambling revenues are moving forward at the state capitol. Today a Senate Committee approved the expansion of gaming at all of the state’s pari-mutuels, including horse tracks. Casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties would get Black Jack and other card games, with the Seminole tribe continuing to have exclusive rights to some high level gaming. Sponsor Dennis Jones says the state is losing out and needs to move into the 21st Century.

“This would be a very popular economic boom to Florida,” Jones said. “We lose 3.5 million tourists a year. Now we know that they charter planes and buses to Las Vegas and Mississippi. We’re going to retain those people to spend money in Florida. We’re going to attract Europeans and Asians that come for gaming destinations.”

The vote sets the gambling measure up for a vote in the full Senate and for a show down with the house that generally favors less gambling in the state.

Car wrecks are the leading cause of death among teens. Four died in a fiery wreck this weekend in Pinellas County. Only one of the teens was wearing a seat belt. Legislation filed year after year in Tallahassee could cut down on road fatalities but as Whitney Ray tells us, the bills keep failing.

Adolph Hicks teaches high school students how to drive. He treats his driver’s education class like a boot camp.

“It only takes one mistake out there as a general rule and life can be ruined,” said Hicks.

The message carries more weight after a weekend of tragic news. Four Pinellas County kids died in a car wreck over the weekend. All were under 18. Only one was wearing a seat belt.

Legislation moving in Tallahassee would make not bucking up a primary offense. A bill prohibiting drivers under 18 from carrying teenage passengers is being frozen out.

“Four children have lost their lives because a 16 year old was driving after curfew. They were speeding. They were not wearing seat belts and they had too many kids in the car. That’s why I think this bill is so important and we get that message across,” said Bill Sponsor Kelly Skidmore.

16 year-old Haley Twiman gets nervous when she rides in a car full of teens.

“If you’re the driver and you’re on the road, I know you shouldn’t be, but you want to be included in the conversation. So more people in the car, more noise, it is more distracting,” said Haley.

And while limiting distractions may be a rule of the road, it’s still not a state law. Another bill filed but not being heard would require teens to pass a drivers education course before they could get their license.