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Former House Speaker Ray Sansom is a free man tonight. The prosecution’s case, alleging Sansom conspired to steal a six million dollar appropriation, collapsed today after the judge ruled no evidence of a conspiracy existed. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the once-prominent politician says his life is in the hands of God.

The end to the week-long trial came quickly.

“The state and the defense have reached an agreement in this case, and at this point in time, there is no further action being taken,” prosocuter Willie Meggs said.

After a long lunch break, prosecutor Willie Meggs dropped the charges against Sansom and co-defendant Jay Odom. Both agreed to pay 103 thousand dollars to the state. That amount is what the state spent from a six million dollar appropriation that Sansom engineered for his home town college. The appropriation was for a building described as both an airplane hanger for Odom and classroom space for the school.

Afterwards Sansom was breathless.

“This is what Mr. Dobson and Mr. Smith told me the first time I met with them,” Sansom said. “The truth will set you free. We have a great justice system. The constitution is still a living, breathing document, and when we get a chance to present our case to a jury, to a jude, we will walk out of here like we are today. No charges, not guilty.”

Attorney Steve Dobson says he was convinced of victory from the beginning.

“There was absolutely no case. When the legislature creates their rules, they pass a bill, that’s the bill they pass,” Dobson said. “No legislator should be subject to what Mr. Sansom has gone through in this case.”

Sansom and his family left the courthouse, with the now-free man saying he would trust his future, just as he had the outcome of the trial, with his God.

The Florida House has passed legislation prohibiting governments from deducting union dues from public employees. The legislation passed along party lines, with, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, Democrats saying the legislation was political payback for union support of Democrats.

Police, firefighters, teachers, and many other public employees will no longer have their union dues deducted from their paychecks if legislation approved by the Florida House becomes law.

This remark,“Unions are great”, from Republican Rick Workman brought laughter from union members in the House gallery. Republicans who defended the bill say government has no business collecting union dues.

“We just had an election, unless you were not paying attention, the people spoke loud and clear: they want government out of their business,” Rep. Mike Horner (R-Kissimmee) said. “This gets government out of their way.”

Union members say the legislation singles them out because of support for Democratic candidates. The bill still permits deductions for 300 other organizations.

“What we’ve found were dozens [of organizations] that made direct political contributions in the 2010 political cycle, and those contributions dwarfed anything that any unions spent in the state of Florida,” Rich Templin, with Florida AFL-CIO, said.

The legislature’s own analysis says it will likely be more difficult to get union members to write a check for their dues.

Despite the language in the analysis, sponsor Chris Dorworth (R-Seminole County) says the bill has nothing to do with union busting.

“This bill very clearly promotes the rights of members of the unions,” Dorworth said.

Reporter: How so?

“By granting them the authority over their decision,” Dorworth said.

If the legislation becomes law, and that’s still a big if, it is likely to be challenged under the Federal labor law.

The legislation was approved with just one Republican voting “no” and seven others taking a walk.

The state unemployment rate has fallen .4 percentage points from a month ago at 11.9 percent to 11.5. But there are still more than a million people looking for work. As Whitney Ray tells us, even as the economy improves, the rate is likely to stay high as people who previously stopped looking for jobs reenter the workforce.

After a year of searching, Georgia Mills Ferrel finally found a job as a nanny.

“With two young kids, they’re wonderful kids and it’s working out very well,” said Georgia.

Georgia met Governor Rick Scott Friday, the man who promises to get a huge chunk of the state’s one million jobseekers back to work.

“He’s trying his best. As long as he’s trying, and can hear all the people, fine with me, but I’m taken care of because I have faith,” said Georgia.

Florida’s unemployment rate has fallen from about 12 percent to 11.5 percent, but that’s not the whole story.

The unemployment rate could have dropped even more, but what happens is as the economy improves and jobs start to be created, people who previously stopped looking for work reenter the workforce and strangely enough that can drive the unemployment rate up.

If all eligible Floridians who didn’t have a job began looking for work right now, the unemployment rate would be around 20 percent

Still, Governor Rick Scott calls the 22 thousand jobs created last month encouraging.

“I am very focused on getting everybody back to work,” said Scott.

And as the economy turns around, Scott says he can speed up the process if lawmakers will just pass his jobs budget, but support for his plan, even among his own party, is low.

Florida has been adding jobs now for five straight months. The latest numbers mark the largest job growth the state has seen since 2007.

Governor Rick Scott signed the teacher tenure bill yesterday in Jacksonville, but he was looking for more publicity, so he held a mock signing today with lawmakers in Tallahassee.

His PR staff said he would answer three or four questions following the signing as long as the reporters promised to stay on topic… But Scott wasn’t in the mood.

Reporter: Governor, do you want to take a couple of questions?
Scott: Uh, no I don’t.
Reporter: That was less than three or four.”

After Scott snubbed the Capitol Press Corps, a spokesperson told reporters the governor was just too busy to talk… but apparently he wasn’t too busy to hold a fake bill signing a day after the real bill was signed.

Governor Rick Scott wants to cut three billion dollars from education. The state legislature is looking to cut less. But there’s little chance schools end up unharmed in next year’s budget. Parents, teachers and students say they can’t handle anymore cuts, and as Whitney Ray tells us, they took their message to the state capitol today, but the governor wasn’t there.

A group of about four hundred parents, teachers and students stormed the state capitol Thursday to rally against budget cuts. Their message was for lawmakers and Governor Rick Scott

“We come with bags full of postcards from all these kids out here from parents back home,” said Maria Kinzer, with Pinellas County PTA.

But Scott wasn’t there… he was in Jacksonville signing a teacher tenure bill many educators oppose.

“It’s very disappointing the Governor is out in Jacksonville at a charter school,” said Rosanne Wood, a former principal.

The governor may have won the tenure battle, but the education war continues. Scott is proposing a three billion dollar cut. State lawmakers are looking to cut about half as much.

“Education is a lot better than a lot of other items. If you look at some of these other cuts, they are brutal. So I’m happy the PTA is here. There hard work is paying off,” said State Senator Thad Altman.

Parents, teachers and students say if those cuts are passed down to schools, programs like sports, arts, and music will disappear.

High School Junior Luis Estopinana says without music class, he would find it hard to get up in the morning.

“Without the arts, like, there’s not that extra thing to look forward to beside regular academics,” said Luis.

If school funding is cut too drastically, educators are prepared to sue, because the Florida constitution says the state must adequately fund schools.

“A cut is still a cut and when we are already at the bottom at the heap in country as far as funding education. No cuts are acceptable,” said Linda Kobert with FundEducationNow.org.

But first they hope lawmakers listen, and schools are held harmless. Governor Scott says his education budget reductions aren’t actually cuts. The reason; for the past two years federal stimulus dollars were propping up the state budget. Now that money is gone and there’s no way to replace it without raising taxes.

Forty-seven states require booster seats for kids seven and under… But not Florida.

In Florida kids four and under have to travel in car seats. At five the law only requires they be buckled up. Lawmakers say most of those kids are too short to be buckled up like an adult. State Senator Thad Altman, whose sponsoring legislation to require booster seats, says the safety belt crosses their bodies in a dangerous way.

“It’s actually in some cases is more dangerous because that seatbelt goes across that child’s neck. So what this does is it puts it in the law that children 4’9 or less, seven years old or less are required to be in a booster seat,” said Altman.

Similar bans have failed in the legislative process several years running.

Public testimony for and against bringing Vegas-style casino resorts to Florida will be heard next week at the state capitol.

State Senator Dennis Jones is sponsoring the bill that would allow five resort casinos to open in the state. Jones says the expansion will bring jobs and money to Florida, but opponents fear a gaming expansion will cause problems.

“We are the fourth largest gaming state in America right now. We can also show in charts, that in trains, planes, and buses three million people leave the state each year for gaming in other states, just gaming. But we’re looking to bring a trade show industry here that brings its own people, an extra eight to 10 million people each year,” said Jones.

Jones says only about 10-percent of each resort would be dedicated to gambling. He says trade shows and families would be the main money makers for the resorts. Still some state lawmakers say any gaming expansion is bad for Florida.

Prosecutors spent much of the day trying to establish that Northwest Florida State College administrators new little about the Destin airport facility until it was approved by lawmakers. In one exchange, former Vice President for Curriculum, Dr. Jill White, said she only became involved when she was instructed to find classes to be taught at the facility. Prosecutors had her read from an email exchange between herself and college president Bob Richburg.

“These are programs of study, or possible programs of study that were not offered at the time by the college, but were programs that existed on approved state program listings that in my opinion would have been appropriate for the Destin facility,” said White.

White and others testified that they were instructed to find classes “dealing with emergency management” but they replied the center could not sustain such classes. Samson is charged with steering six million state dollars disguised as an emergency operations center but was really for an airplane hanger for a political contributor.

Governor Rick Scott has ordered random drug tests for all state workers and new hirers. The ACLU says Scott can’t do that and as Whitney Ray tells us, lawmakers are worried about how the state will pay for the tests that could cost more than three million dollars a year.

There are more than 100-thousand state workers in Florida, and Governor Rick Scott wants to know they drug-free. Scott’s ordered random drug testing for all state workers.

The ACLU is crying foul and points to a 2004 case in which a federal judge ruled in favor of a state worker who didn’t want to take the test.

“It’s the same grounds as what occurred in 2004, that with out a reasonable suspicion of wrong doing, that this is a violation of their privacy,” said ACLU Spokeswoman Danielle Prendergast.

There are also financial concerns over the tests. They cost about 35 dollars a pop, and opponents say that means the state will be flushing 3.5 million dollars down the drain every year.

Only one state worker would talk to us on camera today, State Senator Mari Sachs. Sachs, a Democrat, says there are better ways to spend the cash.

“Let’s first make sure they have enough money to do their jobs. Number two, what’s the need,” said Sachs.

But Governor Rick Scott is sticking to his guns. We caught up with him late Wednesday afternoon. He says the tests will protect taxpayer dollars.

“Private companies are doing it. It creates safety. It’s the right thing to do, so I’m very excited about doing it because it’s good for the taxpayers of the state,” said Scott.

Scott is giving his agencies 60 days to begin the random tests. The ACLU is offering free legal representation to any state worker who refuses a drug test and wants to challenge the new policy in court.

One year ago today President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Health Care Act. On the very same day the State of Florida filed suit against the new law calling it unconstitutional. Supporters of the law were at the state capitol today armed with signs and a birthday cake. They celebrated the changes that ban insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions, allow college students to stay on their parents insurance and open the Medicaid rolls to more people. Barbara Devine, with the National Organization for Women,

“While there are people inside this very capitol and all over the United States who want to refight the same old political wars and give control over our health care back to insurance companies, it’s time to move forward,” said DeVane.

Attorney General Pam Bondi marked the occasion with a statement encouraging opponents in the state’s suit against the new laws.

“This case is about protecting individual liberty and preserving the
Constitution’s limits on federal power. With the expedited appeal schedule granted by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, we hope to have this issue before the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as possible,” said Bondi.

The killing of an adopted foster kid in South Florida is prompting children’s advocates to push for better protections for kids in state care. Nubia Barahona was found dead earlier this year. The man who adopted her was arrested for her death. Dozens of children’s advocates who represent foster kids in court gathered at the state capitol to honor Nubia and talk about preventing the future abuse of foster kids. George Riggs a former foster youth is taking action to make sure Nubia’s death isn’t forgotten.

“We can’t have a system that relies on luck, and although tragic cases like hers are not the norm, they happen all too often,” said Riggs.

Riggs will work with Voices for Children in Miami-Dade County to create a model program aimed at protecting foster youth from domestic violence.

Governor Rick Scott will soon be eating fish and chips and shaking hands with bobbies. Today Scott meet with Britain’s US Ambassador Nigel Sheinwald to discuss job creation. The UK is promising to visit Florida’s Space Coast to see if it can’t help save jobs that will be lost because of a loss of federal funds and Scott has promised to embark on a trade mission to England. Sheinwald says trade keeps his country connected with Florida

“The UK and Florida do have a great relationship, there’s a great foundation there, and between us. Huge numbers of people live here, visit here and the life blood of our relationship is our economic links,” said Sheinwald.

The Brits will be in Cape Canaveral sometime next week. Plans are still in the works for trade mission trip.

Florida college students are lobbying state lawmakers to save education funding and protect the Bright Futures Scholarship program. More than a hundred students from Florida’s 11 public universities were at the Capitol today. As Whitney Ray tells us, despite their cries, there’s little chance higher education funding will be kept intact.

John Stevenson, a journalism student at West Florida University in Pensacola, covers the state legislature for his school paper.

“This is a great time to start getting involved in the legislature, and continue to do so as an adult,” said Stevenson.

John and more than a hundred students from Florida’s 11 public universities traveled to the state capitol Tuesday, upset over proposed changes and cuts to higher education.

While the number of concerns were as plentiful as the number of schools represented at the state capitol, freshmen and sophomores seem to have the same concern cuts to the Bight Future’s Scholarship Program.

Lawmakers want to cut 100 million dollars from the program. Those changes would leave FAU Freshman Brittany Finn looking for more money to pay for school.

“I’ve got 75 percent so of course it’s a majority of my tuition and fees,” said Finn.

There’s also talk of closing enrollment in Florida’s Prepaid College Program. One in five students at state universities has a prepaid plan. The program helped USF Senior Lara McDermott pay for school. She worries about future students.

“Parents are going to have to make hard choices, students are going to have to make choices about whether or not they are going to have to accrue massive amounts of debt,” said Lara.

University Systems Chancellor Frank Brogan, a guest speaker at the rally, held an impromptu meeting with students. He was kind but blunt.

“The legislature for the last three or four years with all the budget cuts, pulled every rabbit out of every hat. There are just no rabbits left,” said Brogan.

And with federal stimulus dollars all gone, tuition at all schools will likely increase by 15 percent, and that still won’t be enough to stave off budget cuts. Education funding is expected to drop by at least 150 million dollars this year as lawmakers struggle to find ways to fill the 3.75 billion dollar budget hole.

A former Miami Dolphins football star is pushing legislation to help kids with developmental disabilities further their education.

Dan Marino was at the state capitol today asking lawmakers to pass a bill to help fund the Dan Marino Foundation Vocational College. The school would be located in Broward County and open to students with developmental challenges from ages 19 to 26. Marino has a son with Autism and has been working with lawmakers for years to improve the quality of life for Floridians like his son.

“This is just really our next step. It’s the next step for the state. It’s the next step for our foundation and helping kids with developmental disabilities in the transition period,” said Marino.

The foundation has already purchased a three story building for the school; it’s unclear how much state funding would be needed.

Efforts are underway to permanently ban synthetic drugs known as bath salts. In late January Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an emergency order making the drugs illegal in Florida. Now legislation to permanently ban the substances is moving in the state House. Representative Jimmy Patronis is sponsoring the bill.

“It’s definitely a problem and the results of what this chemical does to individuals has been well documented and it’s a harmful part of our society,” said Patronis.

Prior to the emergency ban, bath salts could be found on the shelves at head shops and even some gas stations.