Welcome to

Florida law requires public schools to offer physical education classes for all grades, but the law is silent on recess for elementary aged children, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, that could soon be changing,

Only 3 of the state’s 67 counties…all of them small require 20 minutes of free play recess each day. But research say free play helps kids develop. Moms across the state including Marie Claire Lehman are leading the grass roots effort to make recess mandatory.

“Without this state mandate, many kids across Florida will be denied recess and it will effect they emotional health” says Lehman.

Lawmakers have encouraged districts to adopt the recess but stopped short of requiring it because they wanted local control for local districts. But groups like Daily Recess, led by Kate Asturias say it hasn’t worked.

“It’s not local control, it’s local neglect” Asturias told lawmakers.

With PTA support, the bill was approved 7-0

Adults get a coffee break, and supporters say kids deserve one too.

Barbara Hedge came from Pinellas County, she says, to speak for the one point three million kids in elementary schools.

“All of the evidence supports and shows how daily recess  for children K through 5, helps them academically. Socially. Helps them grow. Helps them learn behaviors they are not learning in school. Learn how to interact and socialize” says Hedge.

Sponsor Anitere Flores is optimistic the bill will pass the Senate after failing last year.

“Sitting in a chair for six hours a day is something we as adults have a tough time doing. Imagine asking your six or seven your old to be doing that, and then having to be a teacher” says the Miami Senator.

The reason for optimism. There are 20 new members of the Senate this year.

The staff analysis says the end result of mandatory recess is that kids may get more physical exercise.

The House Appropriations Committee this afternoon approved legislation abolishing Enterprise Florida, the agency responsible for recruiting companies, often through the use of incentives. But members balked on also abolishing Visit Florida, the tourism marketing arm of state government. While keeping Visit Florida, lawmakers plan to cut it’s budget by two thirds. Appropriations Chair Carlos Trujillo says the agency will get a chance to prove it provides a return on investment.

“I’ve never been told I saw you on Visit florida.com. They tell me I saw Walt Disney, I saw your beaches , I sawyer weather and its a beautiful place and I want to visit. So for us to think because we run a web site, or just because we run an ad, or a banner, all these people will know know what Florida is and they are coming here is little bit disingenuous” Trujillo told reporters,

Governor Rick Scott tweeted the vote was a jobs killer, He has been traveling the state calling legislators out by name in their home towns, trying to save Enterprise and Visit Florida. The battle threatens to make the 2017 session which starts two weeks from today, difficult.

A day after the Florida Supreme Court said death prosecutions can go forward with a unanimous verdict, the House took up the unanimous jury verdict bill late in the day, but a group of pastors was in Tallahassee arguing for a moratorium and a study of the death penalty.

Darlene Farah’s daughter Shelby was shot and killed during a robbery at a phone store near Jacksonville in 2013. Farah is fighting against the death penalty for her daughter’s accused killer.

“Murder is murder. Justice, you know I’ve asked so many different people name one good thing that comes out of the death penalty and all I hear is justice and closure. Justice for who? There’s no justice” says Farah.

Farah has made several trips to the Capitol and last year opposed the legislature’s 10-2 jury verdict bill that was eventually declared unconstitutional.

 

31 year old Gerald Wright was one of the victims in last years mass shooting at the Pulse night club in Orlando. Today, ,his parents, Fred and Maria Wright joined dozens of other in the Capitol to push lawmakers to stop a handful of bills they believe would expand access to guns.

“And we’re just asking out legislators, please, we need common sense. we don’t need more gun violence victims. Out son was 31 years old. What happened to him was terrible, but we’re having too much gun violence, and more guns in more places, in more hands is not the way to solve this issue” Mafia said, holding back tears.

A study by “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America” released today shows 75% don’t want guns on college campuses;69% don’t want armed personnel in schools, and 68% are against open carry. The survey also found that only 43 percent are willing to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes.

A day after the Florida Supreme Court said death prosecutions can go forward with a unanimous verdict, the House took up the unanimous jury verdict bill late in the day, but a group of pastors was in Tallahassee arguing for a moratorium and a study of the death penalty.

Darlene Farah’s daughter Shelby was shot and killed during a robbery at phone store near Jacksonville in 2013. Farah is fighting against the death penalty for her daughter’s accused killer.

“Murder is murder…justice..you know I’ve asked so many different people name one good thing that comes out of the death penalty all I hear is justice and closure..justice for who..there’s no justice” says Farah.

Farah has made several trips to the Capitol and last year opposed the legislature’s 10-2 jury verdict bill that was eventually declared unconstitutional.”

A House Committee has adopted legislation prohibiting legislators from lobbying for six years after leaving office. The current ban is two years.If the Senate goes along, voters must ultimately approve the legislation…but State Rep. Lori Berman says the legislation is off to a good start.

“This makes sure that we aren’t becoming a revolving door of lobbyists you know. This is clear that is not the intent of the legislature and not something we want to see in our state” says Berman

The legislation also closes a loophole that let the Secretary of Environmental Protection leave for a law firm he had hired as during his tenure as DEP Secretary.

The oldest surviving officer from the battle of Iwo Jima has died. Lt. General Larry Snowden passed away over the weekend at the age of 95 in the state Capitol. And those who knew him call him a Marines Marine, a Generals’ General, or just hero.

Larry Snowden was a 23 year old Captain commanding 200 men at Iwo Jima.

Snowden told us in 2013 that one of WWII’s most famous battles was far different than the romanticized version.

“I”ve read many accounts that says when the flag went up, the troops all over the island stood up and cheered. No way. Where I was, you stood up, you were a dead Marine” says Snowden.”

Snowden was wounded twice, and went back into action despite having a year and a half old son at home.

“And I had a momentary flash of what it would mean to me is somebody were telling me that my son is dead” he added.

For many, like Col Glen Sutfin, the Secretary of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.  just knowing him was considered an honor.

“He is skillful and courageous in battle. He was gracious to the defeated. He always took care of his troops, and they necessarily didn’t have to be on active duty with him. It didn’t matter where they were.If they were troops, veterans, he took care of them” Sutfin told us.

Snowden went on to fight in Korea and Vietnam. He thinks returning vets got a raw deal.

After his tour in Viet Nam, Snowden said its okay not to like the war…but “We didn’t win that war to my satisfaction. But that was not the fault of our troops. that was the fault of our political leaders who decided to settle for something less than victory.”

Snowden passed at age 95 over the weekend. He never failed to live up to the Marine Corps motto…Semper Fi, Always faithful.

Lt. general Snowden died a day short of the 71st anniversary of the invasion of Iwo Jima. Until a year ago, when his health started failing, he was an active speaker on veterans issues.

Senator Bill Nelson was in Tallahassee speaking to students at the Humphries Science Research museum at FAMU. Nelson talked to students about the importance of STEM education, the future of the space program, and his experience aboard Space Shuttle Columbia.

Nelson says he’s in favor of a special investigation of the Trump campaign’s alleged communication with Russia leading up to the election. “I think if the American people really want to be satisfied that we know all of the facts when it comes to how the Russians have hacked us” says Nelson.

Nelson says an independent panel is needed.

 

 

Governor Rick Scott has made it a priority to repeal a state law requiring health care providers to prove there is a need for additional beds before they can be built. It is called certificate of need. Today, the state’s nursing home operators said repealing the CON process would be a mistake because there is no such thing as free market conditions in health care.

Florida Health Care Association Executive Director Emmett Reed is not in favor of the CON process. “There will be an influx of Taj Mahal type nursing homes that come in and take the private pay and Medicare payment, and leave Medicaid only nursing homes” says Reed.

Two bills have been filed to repeal Certificate of Need requirements.

Doctors in Florida can now talk to their patients about guns after a federal appeals court struck down key provisions of the so-called ‘Docs vs Glocks’ law.
The law kept physicians from asking their patients about firearm ownership.

Pediatrician Louis St. Petery was one of the lead plaintiffs in the suit. He’s happy this long legal challenge appears to be over. “Well I think they made the right decision. We were not happy when this passed the Florida Legislature.
Because there are so many children who get injured or killed inappropriately, a lot by handguns that are improperly stored” says St. Peterey.

The doctor says he thinks the ruling will make kids safer. The 8-3 decision by the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier decision by a divided three-judge panel that upheld the Florida law. The opinion only applies to portions of the law that restricted doctors from inquiring about firearms.

The decision could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Thousands of families of people who died from smoking may benefit from legislation being considered at the state capitol that could speed up settlement payments from big tobacco, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us at issue is a 2009 law that treats tobacco differently than the industries.

Florida receives between 350 and 400 million a year in tobacco settlement dollars. Because of that, Lawmakers gave the industry a special law in 2009: they are not required to put up as much cash as other industries when they lose a lawsuit and appeal.  But now there is a move to require the same bond as everyone else. Jimmy Gustafson of the Florida Justice Association says tobacco has been dragging its feet settling cases.

“This statute gives those companies an incentive to just eep on appealing until the last dog has died” Gustafson told lawmakers.

Significantly more people have sued big tobacco in Florida than any other state. The reason,  a 2006 Supreme Court  ruling.0

But Keith Teel, who represents Altria, told lawmakers without the special treatment, it could have to pay so much to appeal it could be out of business.

“The problem with a bankruptcy is that all of the payments would have gone away.”

Then Rep. Sean Shaw (D-Tampa) asked: “Are you suggesting that if this bill passes, it will affect your ability to make settlement payments?”

“No” Teel responded.

The Committee approved the bill 14-1.

We tried to ask Teel  about the apparent conflict.

Q:”What happens to you…”

“I have no comment. You heard my testimony.”

Jay Fant of Jacksonville was the only no vote.

“And we have an expectation on our funding that we will get those settlements from the tobacco companies, and there is a balance to that. I just don’t want to upset the balance” reasons Fant.

Tobacco does say that every judgement again ti has been paid quickly…the trail bar says its because they drag out the appeals as long as possible.

The hearing before the House committee was the only committee assignment in the House, so the legislation is ready for a floor vote. The legislation has yet to be heard in a Senate committee.

The war of words over incentives to luring businesses and tourists to Florida is heating up in the State Capitol. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, Governor Rick Scott is making it personal.

When lawmakers passed a bill abolishing the states economic development and tourism promotion agency, Governor Rick Scott hit the road, scheduling stops in House members districts who voted for the abolition. Here’s what he said in Panama City.

“And one of them is your state Rep. right here, Jay Trumbull, who voted to abolish Enterprise Florida and abolish Visit Florida. How can anybody do that” asked Scott.

He did the same thing to Rep. Paul Renner of Palm Coast. Renner is the sponsor of the legislation.

”How did that feel?” we asked.

“You know what, I think we agree with the Governor on many many topics, and I’m going to continue to talk about those we share in common” Renner told us.

Scott chose the Brevard Zoo to announce tourism numbers Thursday. Rep. Randy Fine represents Brevard.  He wrote Scott suggesting the two talk in person..not through the media. Fine wouldn’t say anything more to us. “The letter speaks for itself.”

”You know, I view it as being on one big team” say rep. Chris Latvala, who tweeted

support for Turnbull and others in the Governor’s crosshairs.

“You know I was sad to see them targeted the way that they were,”

Of the Governor’s tactics, one House member who wouldn’t go on camera told us : I was bullied as a kid, I’m not going to be bullied now.

And now House Speaker Richard Corcoran has released a video of news clips criticizing the agencies Scott is fighting for.

“The market place contains incentives enough to warrant continuing these activities without a government subsidy” boomed a clip from Ronald Reagan to end the video.

Scott and the House Speaker are reportedly not speaking to each other. A bad omen weeks before the legislative session begins.

The Florida Housing Finance Director resigned recently after spending 52 thousand on a steak dinner for staff and the board. The Inspector General for the agency, who’s job is to catch and report misspending, got a  twelve thousand five hundred dollar bonus. Now a House committee has approved a bill prohibiting bonuses to inspector generals in all agencies. Rep. Scott Plakon says the bonus could keep IGs from doing their job.

“The inspector general got a twelve thousand five hundred dollar bonus. It’s like I said. I don’t think that’s right. Compensation should align with the duties of the job, and in that , it  seems the compensation could be contrary to what their job is to do, to hold these agencies accountable” says Plakon.

Inspector Generals in agencies report to the Governor, not the agency head.

Lawmakers are mulling over a Veterans Day sales tax exemption holiday. The idea is to honor those who served in our armed forces by letting them buy footwear and clothing under $60.00 tax free. Representative Mel Ponder of Destin says the legislation would make it a one-day offer on Veterans Day, November 11. “If anything we could start with this $60.00 or less for one day and get the ball rolling and just start honoring the veterans in that regard” Ponder says. The bill would cost the state $1.4 million. The legislation is shorter than the three days the governor wants.

 

 

 

A tax credit could be on the way for victim’s of last year’s storms. Under the proposed disaster relief tax credit bill owners of property made uninhabitable by the hurricanes in 2016 could petition their property appraiser to lower taxes. Representative Colleen Burton of Polk County says this is temporary relief. “That piece of legislation takes into account that homes are inhabitable often times for a couple of months” says Burton.

The legislature has provided tax relief for the victims of natural disasters on at least four occasions.