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Seventy-seven thousand kids in 115 D or F schools across the state could soon have new options. House Budget writers want to spend 200 million dollars on charter schools they are calling ”Schools of Hope.”

As many as 115 schools in 27 counties could soon face new competition. Legislation creating  Schools of Hope” is a plan moving quickly through the legislature. The House Appropriations committee has set aside Two hundred million to allow the schools to step in where school districts have been unable to turn D and F schools into at least C schools. Rep. Manny Diaz is chair of the Pre K-12 Education Budget.

“These are kids trapped in generational poverty” says Diaz.

Democrats on the committee question the rush, and the bills constitutionality. Rep. Kionee McGhee (D-Miami) thinks the legislation will end up in court.

“But it’s just so much with the unintended consequences we may find ourselves dealing with in the near future when this issue finds itself before the Supreme Court of Florida” says McGhee while voting no.

Sponsor Chris Latvala says the idea is to bring in proven out of state charter school operators who have a history of turning around failing schools.

“70% of those students have to be on free ore reduced lunch. 80% percent of those students have to go on to college” says Latvala.

Rep. Bobby Dubose doubts the program can be successful and voted no.

“To me, its like having a house with a leaky roof and you put a brand new door on it. Well, the roof’s still leaking.”

And school districts say if you are going to give charter school companies additional moneys, give it to us first  to try and fix the problem.

Schools of Hope would have to locate within five miles of a failing school. But There is no requirement they take only students from that failing school.

Anchor Tag: School districts currently have three years to turn around a failing school before facing outside management. The Schools of Hope legislation cuts the time table to two years,

The House and Senate are close to sending legislation to the Governor requiring prosecutors to prove someone was not in fear of their life in stand your ground cases. Right now, the courts require a hearing for people asserting SYG to prove they were in the right. The Florida Black Caucus says homicides are up 32 percent since Stand your ground became law in 2005. Rep. Kamia Brown of Orlando says it puts women abuse victims at a disadvantage.”

“You the victim now have to prove your abuser was the aggressor. this bill gives abusers the leeway to shoot first and ask questions later.  what stops the abuser from using Stand Your Ground as intimidation tactics against their victims” says Brown.

The legislation could go to the Governor by the end of the week.

House and Senate Budget writers moved today to cut the budget of the Orlando Prosecutor refusing to seek death sentences. The money would be used by other state attorneys who have been given those cases by the Governor. But Chief of Staff Kamilah Perry says the cut will hurt innocent victims.

“The notion to take one point four million dollars from our budget is going to cripple us in addition to the money we have to pay under the statute. And it’s going to impact the prosecution of other cases, namely Human Trafficking” says Perry.

Q:”Do you fell like its political payback?”

“I do. the timing of it appears to be retaliation for her position.

Governor Rick Scott moved 21 additional cases from the Circuit earlier this week. Asked today if he was still considering a suspension, he said he continues to review the situation and how the State Attorney responds to future cas

Legislation wasn’t the only thing cooking at the State Capitol this afternoon.

As part of Miami-Dade Day the worlds largest paella was cooked on the grounds of the Capitol Plaza.

Bijan Nakhjavan has been serving the dish at the Capitol for 30 years.

SOT Bijan Nakhjavan

Chef

“They decided that they want to do something in Tallahassee that has a flavor of Miami and that’s why we did paella and it’s grown from like three hundred people now to like two or three thousand people.”

Governor Rick Scott along with other legislators came out to help serve the dish mad up of over 1,000 pounds of rice, chicken and seafood.

Visitors to the state Capitol were greeted by Albert and Alberta, the University of Florida’s mascots today. Students from the University of Florida took over two floors of the Capitol rotunda for displays about their school. There was also a BBQ luncheon, but no school officials were available to talk about what the university is seeking from lawmakers.

Garnet and gold decorated the state Capitol today for the annual FSU Day.

Cheerleaders, jugglers and a pep band from the school’s college of music entertained a crowd in a  show of school spirit.

FSU Alumni serving in the legislature were honored at the event along with some of this years star football players. FSU President John Thrasher praised the sports teams but recognized the schools academic excellence.

“Florida State is on a roll in a lot of ways. On the field and off US News and World Report has ranked FSU as the 38th best public university in the nation and we’re moving closer to our goal of being in the top 25. With your help and the help of our great friends in this great Florida Legislature we know we’ll get there” says the President.

Inside the Capitol, each of the colleges erected displays talking about their individual disciples.

After turning a blind eye for one hundred and eleven years, the state of Florida has taken the first step to officially apologize to hundreds or men  abused as boys in a state run reformatory, The revelations have come too late to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

Florida opened the Dozier School for Boys in 1900. Tuesday was one of the few times dozens of former wards, know as the White House Boys for the building in which they were beaten, were able to tell their stories to a legislative committee. Captain Bryant Middleton spent 20 years in the army.

‘And I would rather be sent back into the jungles of Viet Nam than to spend one single day at the Florida School for Boys” the Army Ranger told lawmakers.

To a man, each had a hair raising story. Donald Statton of Tampa went to Dozier in 1958 and was there until 1962.

“It never goes away. I was sexually abused. I was beaten to pieces” said a tearful Stratton.

Johnny Lee Daddy became a minister after seeing the horrors of Dozier from 1956 to 1961.

“I cried every day. I seen children being molested everyday” says the minister.

The testimony brought tears to some of the survivors as A Senate Committee voted unanimously to apologize to the men and everyone else. Sen. Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah) offered a verbal apology just before the vote.

“the least this body can do is saw we are sorry.”

University of South Florida Anthropologist Erin Kimmerle is given credit for moving the state to apologize. She unearthed 55 bodies at a site when only 31 were expected. Many are yet to be identified.

“Over more than four years of research, Its a long and overdue day, and we’re very excited about” Kimmerlie told reporters afterwards.

There’s at least one living person who took part in the abuse at Dozier, but the statue of limitations has run on any prosecutions.”

No decision on what to do with the massive property has been made.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran says he is open to compensating the victims of Dozier and that lawmakers are still looking for a way to bring justice to those who were abused. Many in Marianna, where the school site is located, want it turned into a park with no reminder of what went on there.

A bill that would require high school students in the state take a financial literacy course to graduate is one step closer to becoming law after passing through a house subcommittee this afternoon.

It’s not uncommon for students to leave high school with an understanding of subjects like cell division while at the same time lacking personal finance skills. 

House Bill 955 seeks to change that.

The legislation would require all high school students to take a half credit course specifically focusing on financial topics like paying taxes, interest, and balancing a checkbook.

Supporters say 17 other sates have already implemented similar requirements.

“These states now know that students who go through a required course actually have different behaviors,” said Mark Anderson with the Florida Council on Economic Education.

Dr. Joseph Calhoun, an associate professor at FSU and Avid supporter of the bill says he’s been consistently surprised at the lack of knowledge his incoming students have.

“To my amazement only half the students could give me a detailed explanation about the difference between a stock and a bond,” said Dr. Calhoun.

Some schools do offer similar courses as options to students, High School Junior, Tabitha Schlader is taking one such class next semester.

““I’m actually lucky. My dad is really good in that kind of field and work so either way whether I take it or not I would have learned, but I do think it is beneficial because some people don’t have that resource,” said Schlader.

By making the credit a requirement for graduation supporters hope no students will be left behind.

“If they don’t know how to leave high school, head off to college and understand how to survive in the world, we would have done them a tremendous disservice,” said bill sponsor, Representative Heather Fitzenhagen.

The bill has to pass through one more committee before being brought to the House floor.

If passed courses could begin as early as Fall of 2017.

There is a battle brewing in the state Capitol over free beer glasses. The state’s biggest brewer wants to give them away free to bars and restaurants, but craft brewers and even a brewer as big as Miller-Coors says it will put them at a competitive disadvantage.

Most bars offer you a cold one on tap in a custom glass.

Bars and restaurants aren’t allowed to accept glasses for free under the state’s Tied House Evil Law.

They have to pay for them at the brewers cost.

But, Anhueser Busch, the Restaurant and Lodging Association, and the Retail Federation are all backing House bill 853.

It would allow beer distributors to give away up to three cases of glasses for up to three brands.

“20 other states do it. Europe does it,” said the bill’s sponsor, State Representative Tom Goodson of Brevard County

The legislation has cleared its only committee in the House where even big-dog brewer Miller-Coors testified against it.

Craft brewers hate it too.

Bryon Burroughs owns Proof Brewing in the shadow of the state capitol.

“It’s basically legalized pay to play. It puts craft brewers at an immediate disadvantage and it’s really bad for small business,” Burroughs said.

Josh Aubuchon represents the states Craft Brewers Association.

“It’s a way of Anheuser-Busch coming in and pushing the little guys out, and trying to buy up more tap handles using any means necessary,” said Abuchon.

Small breweries like Proof Brewing have claimed it may cost up to fifty thousand dollars to hand out glasses to all of their clients.

But Goodson says the impact is being overstated.

“You’re talking about usually twenty-four to thirty dollars a case.  A dollar per glass. They are welcome to do it also, and I think you’ll seem them do it,” said Goodson,

The Senate version of the bill will have its first hearing Monday.

The legislation does not address other prohibited gifts such as napkins or serving trays. It cleared its only House committee on a non-party line 10-4 vote this week.

300 people from across the state rallied in support of Orlando State Attorney Aramis Ayala today at the State Capitol, bringing with them more than a hundred thousand petitions in support of her decision not to seek death sentences.  She wasn’t there, but she is expected next week as the Governor weighs whether to suspend her.

Supporters of the State Attorney’s decision not to pursue death sentences came from nearly every corner of the state with unified message.

Raymond Jackson âme from Walton County “Because we feel like injustice was served.”

Russel Meyer came to represent the FL Council of Churches from Tampa  “It’s very simple. thou shall not kill. Please don’t kill in my name” he said.

Darlene Farah’s daughter was murdered in 2013. The Jacksonville mom has consistently sought life for her daughters killer. She believes the Orlando state attorney is doing the right thing.

“She knows the procedures of the death penalty and feel like she’s looking out for the best interests of the people in the community” said the death penalty opponent.

Randolph Bracy, the State Senator who represents Orlando, where prosecutor Ayala chose not to seek death for a cop killer, says the Governor and lawmakers need to keep their hands off.

“She was independent elected by the ninth Circuit and she has the power to make that decision Bracy told the crowd.”

Herman Lindsey knows about death sentences first hand. He is one of 26 Floridas exonerees.

“I think this is the beginning of the ending of the death penalty” says the former death row inmate.

State Attorney Ayala did not come to this rally, but she is expected to be here Monday night to meet with the back Caucus.

Lawmakers continue to call for her removal from officer and are considering cutting her budget. Organizers delivered more than a hundred thousand on line petitions to the Governor. He wasn’t in town, but said in Tampa he’s still considering his options.

“I am still shocked she made this decision” says Scott.

scott added that Cop killer Markeith Lloyd should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law…which is death.

If the Governor decides to suspend the State Attorney, she would face a trial by the State Senate, which would’t likely take place until early next year.