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The Florida Senate has passed legislation carrying hefty fines for companies and governments that don’t timely report hazardous spills to the state. The legislation is a direct result of a giant sinkhole in Polk County and a sewage spill by the City of St. Petersburg.

The Mosaic sinkhole, which dumped more than 200 million gallons of radioactive sludge into the acquirer, was first noticed on August 27th. A day later, it was reported to the Department of Environmental Protection. But the Public, and even Jon Steverson, the DEP Secretary at the time, remained in the dark for weeks.

“I knew at the time and learned in late August there was a water loss incident. I was not aware of the sink hole until a much later point in time” Steverson told us on November 25, 2016.

That same day, the state started rule making authority to require a 24 hour notice, but the effort was cancelled by an administrative law judge.

Now, legislation that has cleared the State Senate. Sponsor Bill Galvano requires companies to report a spill within 24 hours.

“The onus then falls on the Department to notify all impacted interested parties within the next 24 hours” galvano told the Senate.

Afterwards he said “People have a right to wake up in the morning and go about their business and not have to worry they are somehow ingesting or being exposed to harmful contaminants.”

The bill requires DEP to create a sign up sheet on its website and allow people to sign up for statewide or geographic alerts.

“We certainly can send out a notice to property owners by internet, television, robo calls within 24 hours” says Galvano.

Companies, or even governments that don’t report, could face a ten thousand dollar a day fine.

The House bill has yet to be heard, making the legislation part of the end of session horse trading about to begin.

The House bill has yet to be heard, making the legislation part of the end of session horse trading about to begin.

The Florida House has approved legislation formally apologizing to the families of four African American men wrongfully convicted in 1949 of raping a white woman. Know as the Groveland Four, three of the men were sent to prison. A fourth was shot by a posse. After the US Supreme Court threw out the convictions, two of the men were shot, one of them fatally, by the Sheriff in Lake County.  Carol Greenlee is the daughter of the longest surviving man. She thanked lawmakers.

“For releasing my family from prison. From releasing my nieces. My son. My brothers from the dark cloud, the shame and the stigma” says the 67 year old, who was four when her father went to prison.

Author Gilbert King won a Pulitzer for his book “Devil in the Grove” about the crime and the murders.

Uber, Lyft,  and other ride sharing drivers will soon have standardized amounts of insurance coverage. The Florida Senate will send legislation four years in the making to the Governor the next time it meets. the legislation requires drivers to carry at least 50 thousand dollars in bodily injury coverage when their cars are empty, and a million dollar policy when riders are present. Sponsor Jeff Brandes says the legislation also standardized background checks.

“Its going to create a standardized system throughout the state. whether you a rein the Keys, or Tampa Bay, or Jacksonville, you’ll know you’ll have the same level of background checks, same level of insurance an this will be standardized going forward” says Brandes.

The bill requires the ride sharing companies to conduct a local and national criminal background check on its drivers every 3 years, and a driving record check just once when the person applies ate be a driver.

Nearly three out of four Florida voters agreed to give businesses that install solar a tax break, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, turning those wishes into reality is hitting a road block at the state Capitol.

The idea seems simple enough. Give businesses a tax break for installing solar. 72 percent said yes to the idea last August.  But language in the amendment says the tax break is subject limitations provided by general law. that’s where it gets sticky.

Lawmakers are at odds over what limitations might apply. Susan Glickman is with the Souther Alliance for Clean Energy.

“On the House side, Rep. Ray Rodriguez has filed HB 1351 and unfortunately , it creates duplicative and needless barriers. Really, regulations on small businesses in the state of Florida” says Glickman.

Senate sponsor Jeff Brandes likes the idea of letting cities and counties earn some revenue from solar but other wise he prefers a bill free of regulation.

“I think ultimately, consumers and their solar contractors are adults. They can decide if they want to enter into contracts . they don’t need the state getting involved in their contracts” argues Brandes.

House Sponsor Ray Rodrigues did not respond to our request for an interview.

And If lawmakers don’t agree, voters wishes will be stymied for at least a year.

In 2008, voters passed the same language for homeowners. It took lawmakers 5 years to implement.

Susan Glickman thinks 2016 will be different than eight years ago.

“I think support for solar and interest in solar is at much higher levels. So I don’t think were going to have to wait” says Glickman.

The legislation is expected to reduce local tax revenues by as much as 54 million a year.

Items being negotiated include:

• Not allowing a break for solar installed before the end of this year.
• Only allowing 80 percent of the value to be eligible for a tax break
• Setting up a new regulatory scheme for installers

The exemption for solar would expire at the end of 2037.

After months of silence, Governor Rick Scott today called on legislative leaders to spend an unanticipated two hundred million dollars to fix the Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee. Scott also said he would support new water storage south of the Lake as long as it does not involve taking private lands or cost people their jobs. Scott believes

“I want to get this done. I don’t want to go through.  I want to do everything I can so we don’t get through another year where we have excess water and we have to see discharges out of Lake O. Lake O. we have the ability in our budget to do this, and I’m calling on both the House and Senate to be a partner  to get this done” Scott told reporters.

The Governor’s support is key to the plan supported by the Senate President. The Governor says he has asked for nothing in return from legislative leaders.

The people who guard our state prisons are among the few who are likely to get raises from state lawmakers this year, but , even the ten percent being sought may not stem staff turnover that has lead to dangerous conditions for both officers and inmates.

Statewide, only one in four officers has more than two years experience. in February the vacancy rate at Franklin Correctional was 24 percent.

Inmate Jeffrey Flynn has paid the price for low staffing levels. He was stabbed by another inmate.

“I went into shock. I lost most of my blood, and they ended up having to bag me on both arms just to stabilize me” Flynn said of the attack.

Flynn is a non violent offender doing four years for kidnapping his own son. In addition to being nearly killed, he’s seen what not having enough staff is doing to the prison system.

“Everywhere you go, there are groups. Well just call them groups” says Flynn.

“Gangs?”

“Yeah, and they target people and they have cell phones.”

“why are cell phones so important?:

“Contact the outside world to run their business.”

“Drug Business?”

“I don’t know” he concluded.

The budget being negotiated by state lawmakers would give the prison system about 40 million more than last year.

“Help is on the way”  lawmakers said In March, when the Department got a thumbs up from lawmakers after being told violence inside against staff and inmates was up over 50 percent.

The Department is asking lawmakers for enough to give everyone a ten percent raise, and to included a ten thousand dollar hiring bonus in some prisons.

But ten percent raises aren’t likely to stem the bleeding. After a year on the job, officers can get a job at a local jail and earn ten thousand a year more, and be safer .

Gang activity, according to the Department of Corrections, is up by over forty percent in the last six years.