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State lawmakers recently passed “Lets Kids Be Kids” bill, focusing on allowing foster children to live lives as similar to their peers as possible.
State lawmakers were in Washington trying to help reform the national foster care

19-year-old Martan Gordon is adjusting to life after being in Florida’s foster care system for more than eight years. “It was basically go to school come home or group home. Wherever I was and that was basically my life,” said Gordon.

Laws had forced kids and their foster care families to get approval from social workers and judges on nearly every decision made, creating a feeling of isolation. “We have bubble wrapped these kids and deprived them of any kind of normalcy when it comes to childhood,” said Senator Nancy Detert.

Federal lawmakers listened to Florida’s new bill giving insight on possible changes at the federal level. “States might examine a law Florida enacted just this year, that is to ensure that foster youth are treated like every other child,” said U.S. Representative Dave Reichert.

Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, David Wilkins says the strict rules made it difficult for not only kids in the system, but the adults trying to help those children. “Foster parents are burdened with paper work, court responsibilities, and jobs responsibilities all surrounding protecting the child,” he said.

Now federal officials are looking to Florida to see what changes to make so foster kids everywhere feel some sense of normalcy while living in the system.

Across Florida announcements have been made about new jobs moving to the Sunshine State.

Less than a week after Governor Rick Scott declared victory at the closing ceremony for the Florida Legislative Session, the governor announced Hertz Rental Car Headquarters will be moving from New Jersey. “This is a great day for Florida,” said Gov. Scott.

For months, one big job announcement after another has been made across the state. Including more than 1,500 jobs being announced at the Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola and high paying jobs being added to the Jacksonville area in the aviation field. “We’ve been reducing unemployment at twice the national average rate,” said Executive Vice President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, David Hart.

Another major announcement earlier this week will benefit a large portion of the state. Coca-cola said they will buy 2-billion dollars worth of oranges in newly planted groves over the next 20 years.

Matt Horn reports that even though there has been a lot of positive publicity, opponents say there would be more jobs coming to the state if lawmakers would have expanded the Medicaid expansion bill. Opponents say without the bill, more than 100,000 will not come to Florida. “That would have brought 51-billion dollars of our own tax money back into the state over 10 years and that money goes directly into the economy,” said Executive Director of Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy’s Karen Woodall.

Florida also lost a few thousand jobs when lawmakers failed to pass a bill renovating the Miami Dolphins stadium.

“We still have a long way to go to get back to full employment, but we’re heading in the right direction,” said Hart.

Currently Florida’s unemployment is at 7 and a half percent.

Florida A&M University has named a new Director of Bands, which is seen as a major step toward reinstatement of the famed Marching 100. The band was suspended following the hazing death of a band student in November 2011.

Florida A & M has crowned Dr. Sylvester Young as the new Director of Marching and Pep bands.

The appointment is a home coming. Young experienced a form of Hazing as a student in 1965. “And I wore red socks with my short white pants, and the first sense of hazing I had was an upper class-man made me leave the field and take those socks off.” Young chuckled.

Young knows he has to change the culture of the band. Hazing has gotten progressively more violent since his stint as a trombone player. Ten people still face second degree murder charges in the hazing death of Drum Major Robert Champion.  “Other schools are watching us very closely and we can actually come out of this being an icon for all other universities” says Young.

The new band director is adamant. He wasn’t promised the band would be back this fall. Interim President Larry Robinson says while no date has been set to make a decision about the bands return, all the right people are now in place.“This is critical piece of that, and we’ll do our assessment, and once we’re done, we’ll be prepared to make an announcement one way or the other” says Robinson.

Students Kachi Ukpabi Jr. worries the clock is ticking too fast for the band to return this fall  “If he can’t come in to June,  People want a band by August, I mean, its a lot of work.”

Young starts in mid June, but a decision on the bands return could be made before then. Dr. Young was the Universities second choice for band director. The school had scheduled an announcement on January 15th, but the candidate backed out at the last minute. Young says he didn’t apply during the initial selection process, but decided he had something to offer.

It’s being called modern-day slavery and is as a 32-billion dollar industry worldwide. Human trafficking in Florida is the third most common place in America.

From Florida’s highways to its message parlors; human trafficking is an every day’s occurrence in the state. As people forced into sex or labor. “Florida ranks third and it’s going to stop,” said Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi.

Ashamed of the high ranking state lawmakers this year made human trafficking a first degree felony, with a 15-year prison sentence. Wire taps have been expanded and now the statewide prosecutor can pursue a case anywhere in the state. “
There’s more we can do and we will do, said Bondi.

In a news conference at the state capitol, government officials met with statewide business leaders to take a bold stance on ending human trafficking. “We’re standing here united on this one issue because like the general has taken so many other issues, we need to get it out of the state,” said Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Tony Carvajal.

The signs are hard to see, but experts say it’s happening all around. “Unlike the slavery of 150 years ago, we don’t see people in chains now,” said Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, Terry Coonan. “But, it’s invisible chains and often times psychological coercion is being used against them.”

Its estimated 27-million people are being trafficked worldwide.

If you’ve noticed something you think that may be human trafficking, you’re urged to call 1-800-96-ABUSE.

After the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in December, State leaders promised that “everything” was on the table when it came to guns and school safety.

Efforts to put a guidance counselor in every school to spot trouble, require schools to hold more frequent lockdown exercises…or a bill to arm teachers all died when lawmakers went home.

Representative Dennis Baxley chairs a committee that heard some gun bills. We asked why more gun bills, pro or con, didn’t pass. “Definitely a sense of not over reacting to some of the spectacular things that happened like Sandy Hook” says Baxley.

The NRA’s lobbyist was in the gallery when the only gun bill..out of 15 introduced…passed.

The bill clamps down on the ability of the mentally ill to buy a gun. Sponsor Audrey Gibson says it passed because the NRA supported it. “At lease we are at the table talking about it..and we should continue to talk about other ways to make sure we stop gun violence” says the Jacksonville State Senator. After a law enforcement memorial for fallen police officers, Fraternal Order of Police President James Preston says they would have liked some clarification to the controversial Stand Your Ground. “If there is an opportunity to recede or back away from the violence, that would be our preference, but if you have to protect yourself, then by all means, the public needs to be able to do that” says the FOP President.

The bill that would have done that never got a hearing. “We never even had the discussion about stand your ground” said State Senator Chris Smith, the sponsor of legislation to prohibit someone from pursuing someone and then claiming Stand Your Ground.

But the NRA says lawmaker looked and decided nothing was broken that needed fixing.Last year a task force held seven public hearings on Stand Your Ground and made minor recommendations to tweak the legislation, but even that bill was not heard by lawmakers.

Five Florida law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2012, and today they were remembered at an annual ceremony at the state capital. “Anything can turn deadly in a blink of an eye,” said Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi. “And so sadly you had to find that out.”

Keynote speaker Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd lost one of his own deputies last month, after agreeing to speak at the ceremony. “I never imagined that one of my own deputies would lose his life in the line of duty just 10 days prior to this ceremony,” he said.

One-by-one, grieving family members pinned a rose to the area of Florida where their loved one died. “When our law enforcement officers go to work,” said Bondi. “Everyday they risk their lives for all of us.”

Even as the fallen officers were being remembered, Sheriff Judd had a message for criminals in Florida. “If you make one last bad choice by pointing a gun at any one of us, we will make one more good choice and shoot you graveyard dead,” he said.

Three Florida officers have already been killed in the line of duty in 2013.

There is chaos in the Florida House. Democrats are using the little authority they have to slow down the process. They’ve joined together to have every bill read in full and they’re turning every debate into a conversation about Medicaid expansion. As Whitney Ray tells us, House leadership is using technology to thwart their efforts.

A guard stood watch over the Florida House Wednesday. The Chamber was locked and a machine read legislation in fast forward. Democrats hijacked every debate.

“And so today you are playing the game with us and we are going back and forth and that’s unfortunate,” said Rep. Jim Waldman.

The battle was sparked after the Florida House refused to accept federal money to expand Medicaid. With just a few days to go until the end of session they’re pulling out all the stops.

“We will use any tools we can just like you used them in committees,” said Waldman in debate.

State Democrats are getting help from Washington. DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz is at the state capitol pushing for the expansion.

“If at the end of the day, if the end of this week comes and goes and the Republicans in Tallahassee refuse to insure a million more Floridians then they will have sickness, illness and death,” said Shultz.

The Senate passed a plan to accept federal money to expand Medicaid and offer coverage to million more Floridians. Governor Rick Scott is also backing the expansion but Shultz is pressing him to take a more active role.

“It’s time for him to get off the sidelines, either he is for accepting those funds and is willing to use his clout and his weight and put the full weight of his office behind that position or he’s not,” said Shultz.

With little time left before the end of session, talks of a fall session to address the issue are emerging. The senate has passed a Medicaid Expansion plan, but there’s still no sign from the House that they’ll take action.

State lawmakers have sent the Governor a bill closing a loophole that has allowed mentally ill people to purchase guns. The legislation requires those who voluntarily commit themselves to sign away their firearm rights until they are well. The legislation is the only bill dealing with guns that will be approved by lawmakers during the 2013 legislative session. Sponsor Audrey Gibson calls it the beginning of a conversation. “It’s something that is a rallying point because of the some of the incidents that have happened in our country. And as I told Marion , at least we’re at the table talking about it. And we should continue to talk about other ways to make sure we stop gun violence” says the Jacksonville Demcrat.

At the beginning of the session there was great speculation the Stand Your Ground law would be reviewed. NRA’s Marion Hammer, who watched today’s bill pass, says there was not need for a review. “There is nothing wrong with the legislation. There are problems with the way people are interpreting it, and that’s an easy fix. So, there was no “Stand Your Ground” or Castle Doctrine legislation” says the longtime NRA spokesperson.

A Stand your ground task force held meeting across the state and made several recommendations on stand your ground changes, but no legislation was heard.

Legislation to allow parents to turn their child’s failing school over to a charter school company was defeated in dramatic fashion today. The parent trigger bill died on a tie vote in the senate. Whitney Ray was there. He was also in the chamber last year when a tie sank the 2012 version.

Deja vu in the Florida Senate. A bill to giving parents another option to fix their child’s failing school has sparked debate in Tallahassee for two years running.

There was debate on the senate floor on the last day of the 2012 session. The parent trigger bill was on final passage. The debate intensified. After more than an hour of debate senators voted. Parent trigger died on a tie vote.

A new version of the parent trigger was back this year for round two. The stage was set once again for a showdown in the senate.”

The bill was amended in an attempt to gain more votes.

“The turnaround option selected by the district school board shall be final and conclusive. There is the answer members,” Explained Sen. David Simmons.

A coalition of Democrats and Republicans still railed against it.

“Not one parent every called me to support this bill,” exclaimed Senator Nancy Detert.

“This bill is not needed. We have options for parents now,” said Senate Democrat Geraldine Thompson.

The senate voted. And once again, a tie brought down the parent trigger.

State police officers will be getting up to eight percent raises this year under the budget plan being considered, but correctional officers say they are being given far less under the plan. Lawmakers are hoping to keep FHP officers from leaving the state for more lucrative jobs in local police agencies, but Christina Bullins, who is a corrections-probation supervisor,  says those who guard Florida’s prisons are also leaving for bigger salaries. “I was up here yesterday with the gentleman that was working for the state department of corrections and prisons. He said he loved his job and he left for Osceola County Corrections and instantly made ten thousand dollars more” says the Teamsters lobbyist.

Governor Rick Scott has been championing a twenty-five hundred dollar a year pay raise for every teacher in Florida since February.

Today is the fifty-second day of the annual sixty day legislative session, and lawmakers have yet to agree to the raises. They would prefer merit based pay hikes, but Scott says teachers have done their job and deserve an across the board hike. “We’ve had a dramatic turnaround in this state. We can brag about our education system; number six in the country. But we constantly have to work on how to do we improve it. Right now one way to improve it, in my opinion,  is the classroom, the payroll increases” says Scott.

Scott’s second priority, a sales tax break on manufacturing equipment is also in limbo. He has been using veiled threats of vetoing priority projects of legislative leaders if he doesn’t get his way.

Air Traffic Jam

Governor Rick Scott has been complaining about air traffic control furloughs every chance he gets, including on national talk shows. He says reducing air traffic controllers by ten percent each day could be disastrous for Florida Tourism. “I don’t want our hotels to be impacted; our restaurants to be impacted. Our businesses in the state to be impacted, and I clearly don’t want anything from the safety standpoint to happen. So, I am hopeful that the White House will do the right thing” says the Governor

Scott says 142 million people travel to Florida by air each year and tourism supports one million jobs. He wants the Obama administration to change the furlough policy quickly.

Dunk City was in the House today, the Florida House.

Basketball players from Florida Gulf Coast University were honored in the state House for their historic NCAA run. FGCU became the first 15th seed in the history of the NCAA tournament to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. The Senate also welcomed the basketball team into its chamber.

“We love Tallahassee. It’s a great city… but it’s not as good as… Dunk City… Congratulations you’ve made Florida proud,” said Senator Garrett Richter.

The FCGU Eagles got the nickname Dunk City after their high flying slams and ally-ops caught the attention of fans this March.

The future of Florida’s state retirement system is in limbo as Republicans in Tallahassee line up behind two different reform plans. As Whitney Ray tells us, while Republicans debate over how to reform the system, Democrats say leave it alone.

Garneted money for retirement, it’s a thing of the past for most workers, but not state employees. They still get a pension backed by the state, but that promise is in jeopardy.

Republicans in the Florida Legislature are worried the state won’t be able to keep its promise. Both chambers have reform bills. The House plan would close the pension to new employees beginning in 2014.

“If we go with this plan the savings are going to be in the tenss of billions of dollars over the course of 30 years, now that’s depending on a lot of assumptions, but it’s a huge magnitude in the correct direction,” said House Sponsor Jason Brodeur.

The Senate version only closes the plan to the highest paid state workers and some see it as a fair compromise.

“If you are comparing the two proposals then yes the Senate has a much more moderate position,” said Senate Democrat Oscar Braynon.

Braynon says if the legislature has to choose, then his chamber has the better version. But Democrats from both chambers would rather see session end with no reform.

“Why do we need to be messing with it at all? It’s one of the healthiest plans in the entire country and the truth of the matter is it’s working just fine,” said Senator Jeff Clemens, a Democrat.

“I feel like this is a solution looking for a problem we have a healthy FRS system,” said Braynon.

The House already passed its bill. Now time is running out for the Senate to act. The reform comes on the heels of legislation forcing state workers to contribute three percent of their salaries to the pension plan. The senate bill would reduce the contribution rate to two percent.

Sponsor Says Parents Win Either Way

Legislation to allow parents to take over failing schools is poised for a vote in the state senate later this week or next. The so called parent trigger bill would let parents in schools that received an F for two our of three years vote to turn the school over to a private corporation. Sponsor Kelli Stargel of Lakeland says the legislation will get parents who haven’t been paying attention to the school involved.

“What this bill would do in my opinion is get parents  involved. A lot of times people are stuck in a situation and they don’t know where to go and they don’t know how to fight, they don’t know what’s available to them. What this bill would do is tell these parents who are stuck in a failing school you do have a voice you do have a say” says Stargel.

A majority of fifty percent plus one would have to vote to change the school. Stargel says even if only thirty percent vote for a change, that would be thirty percent more parents involved than before the vote.