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There are five pending amendments for the 2020 ballot that seek to make marijuana more available, but only one of the five appears to have the financial backing to get to the ballot.

Make it Legal Florida is the newest and richest kid on the block when it comes to pushing for legal marijuana.

In its first month it has contributions of just over a million dollars, all coming from two marijuana growers.

“We’re going to get on the ballot,” said Nick Hansen, who is in charge of the campaign.

A recent poll found bipartisan support for recreational marijuana at 67 percent with little drop off when voters were tested with opponents likely arguments.

A 60 percent vote is needed for approval.

“A super majority of Floridians want access, safe and legal access to cannabis,” said Hansen.

Another group, Sensible Florida has collected less than $200,000 in over two years.

Attorney John Morgan, who ran the successful 2016 effort to get medical marijuana on the ballot said it is still possible for one of the groups to get on the ballot, but it’ll be an uphill battle.

“You know, at this late date, you’re going to have to spend ten to fifteen million to get the signatures on the ballot,” said Morgan.

Like the other 11 states with legal marijuana, both petitions limit pot sales to people over 21.

“I’m a father of five, so I completely understand that,” said Hansen. “And I think every parent should know that responsible adults should have access, but there should be safeguards in place from the industry and regulators.”

But Morgan, who sometimes bills himself as ‘Pot Daddy’ said the campaign is going to face well-heeled opponents.

“Never underestimate how important this is to the pharmaceutical industry that this not become an alternative,” said Morgan.

All of which could make the 2020 campaign to legalize marijuana, the most expensive the state has ever seen.

The University of South Florida, The University of Florida, and Florida State University all learned they are in the top 25 nationally for public universities Monday.

Florida State is overjoyed after climbing eight spots over last year’s ranking.

Florida State began the year ranked 26th nationally by US News and World Report.

It expected to crack the top 25, but the administrators, and even teh Governor was blown away by Its number 18 ranking.
“To go from 26 to 18 is a remarkable assent,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

FSU is tied with Penn State at 18.

FSU Board Chair Ed Burr was quick to point out the new ranking didn’t cost students.

“Without raising tuition a dime,” said Burr.

Instead, FSU used state money to hire faculty and lower class sizes.

“We now offer over 50 percent of Florida State University classes with fewer than twenty students,” said FSU Provost Sallie McRorrie.

Student Morgan Pleasants said she chose FSU for the setting.

“This campus feels like home,” said Pleasants.

While Jacksonville’s Jalicia Lewis came for other opportunities.

“I have an experience to tell people, employers, graduate schools, that I came from a place that was invested in my growth,” said Lewis.

Seven out of ten, or 72 percent of the students who enroll at FSU, graduate in four years.

It is the best graduation rate in the state.

“We had sixty thousand applications last year,” said FSU President John Thrasher. “These students, these students come here already motivated. All we have to to is make sure they have the pathway correct on where they want to go.”

The number 18 ranking brings high expectations of cracking the top 15 quickly and then into the top ten.

FSU has risen 25 spots among public universities since placing No. 43 in 2016.

FSU moved up to No. 38 on the 2017 list and then to No. 33 on the 2018 list.

Early damage estimates in the Bahamas range from three to ten billion dollars and many in Florida are looking for ways to help our neighbors to the east.

Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture is warning residents to be wary of scam charities and is highlighting tools that can make sure your donations make the biggest impact.

A quick search for ‘Dorian’ on GoFundMe turns up nearly 6,000 results.

Many of the drives have pulled in tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried says there’s a risk in donating to pop up charities.

“Since Dorian we’ve seen about 140, give or take, charities that have popped up. Our staff has been working overtime to check those charities to make sure that they actually are valid.” Said Fried. “We are starting to see some that aren’t registering properly that unfortunately may be not legit.”

And when a scammer rakes in donations, reputable charities like the American Red Cross suffer.

“For us personally it takes money out of what could go to help the people,” said Sharon Tyler, Chief Executive Officer of the Tallahassee Red Cross.

To make sure you don’t fall victim to a bogus charity, the Florida Division of Consumer Services is urging residents to vet charities through its Check-A-Charity Tool.

“We are going to have zero tolerance,” said Fried. “So anybody who even thinks about defrauding our citizens or our people in general, know that we are going to come after them.”

You can also call 1-800-HELP-FLA to check a charity.

The Division’s call center fields about 700 to 1,000 calls a day.

Charities are the number one inquiry.

Tyler called the tools offered by the state invaluable.

“I think it really behooves everybody to know who you are giving to,” said Tyler.

Those who violate Florida’s charity statutes can face a wide range of fines depending on the offense and could also be charged with a third degree felony.

Click this link to visit the Division of Consumer Services main charity page.

Governor Ron DeSantis said the state will send water not needed to quench Floridians after Dorian to the Bahamas, while still maintaining a supply in case another storm approaches.

With the storm gone, state officials conceded they were never confident the storm would make a sharp turn North.

State Emergency Planners applauded the Governor after he thanked them.

Dorian’s damage estimates are minimal, likely in the tens of millions, and primarily to the state’s beaches.

With the storm in the rear view mirror, a relaxed chief executive conceded he was never sure Dorian would make the projected turn North.

“We were on edge that whole time,” said DeSantis. “My theme song was the Byrds, turn, turn turn, just like can it please turn as quickly as possible?”

In May, the Governor left a note in the Western Wall in Jerusalem asking Florida be sparred this hurricane season.

“I mean last week the storm was a beeline, a buzz saw across South Florida, and it kinda stalled out and turned pretty dramatically turned 90 degrees to the north,” said DeSantis. “So if we had a hand in assisting that, I’m not going to argue with the big guy upstairs.”

DeSantis also said the real life drill will help in future storms.
“This really helped a lot of these folks hone their skills and try to make us even better going forward,” said DeSantis.

The Governor also said the state will follow up with nursing homes, many of which don’t have required generators.

The Governor reported two Florida deaths attributed to the storm, including one man who passed in a shelter.

The cause of death is unknown at this time.

While Florida was relatively unscathed by Hurricane Dorian, the strong surf and high tides took a toll on the east coast.

The damage to the beaches came in the heart of sea turtle nesting season.

While hurricane Dorian didn’t produce the devastating winds on Florida’s East Coast that had been anticipated, it did cause massive waves, which resulted in significant beach erosion.

“Not only can that affect this year’s nest, but if there’s been significant erosion the habitat that’s available for turtles as well as beach nesting birds just won’t be there next year without intervention,” said Executive Director of Audubon Florida Julie Wraithmell.

During the storm some, like one officer seen in a video posted to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Facebook Page, did make efforts to save baby turtles.

Immediately after the storm photos like the ones taken in Brevard County by UCF scientist Erin Seney showed devastating losses.

“The Southern part of Brevard County is one of the most densely nested beaches in the country,” said Seney who is part of the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group. “We’re probably looking at a pretty high nest loss.”

Teams are already preparing survey the beaches, but exact losses likely won’t be known for weeks.

On a positive note, while nesting grounds on the east coast suffered losses, turtles don’t put all their eggs in one basket.

Nests on the Gulf shores got away unscathed.

“We can be hopeful that the nesting activities both for turtles as well as for beach nesting birds elsewhere in the state will provide some resiliency for the overall population,” said Wraithmell.

Wratmell added that while damaging, the greatest threat to turtle nesting grounds is not hurricanes, but human infrastructure.

In particular, seawalls, which can cause significant beach erosion.

If you do come across damaged nests or even surviving hatchling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission urges you not to interfere.

Instead, you should report the nests directly to the agency by calling the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.

Eleven months ago residents in the panhandle were surprised by a category five hurricane that didn’t lose strength as it moved inland.

The sight of Dorian on their television screens has been making them relive one of the scariest days of their lives.

Blue tarps still populate the Blountstown skyline.

Clyde Bailey rode out Hurricane Michael and said Dorian is bringing back bad memories.

“It was a traumatic experience and the anticipation of you know, going through it again is quite devastating to your mental capacity,” said Bailey.

The same is true for Mary Folsom.

She lost a brother more than a decade ago from hurricane spawned tornadoes.

“I have trouble sleeping now because of the hurricanes and tornadoes and stuff like that,” said Folsom.

One of Dorian’s earlier tracks, took the storm across the state into the gulf, and then here to the panhandle.

Blountstown town city manager Traci Hall immediately begin planning for the worst.

“I was not at all very happy. I’m very thankful its not coming our way,” said Hall.

Michael’s One 145 mile per hour winds were a surprise when they blew through the town.

Those we spoke with who rode it out said they wouldn’t do it again.

91-year-old James Glass rode out Michael.

During the storm he watched a tree three feet in diameter snap in his front yard.

“If there’s another one comes here and they name it, I’m gonna run,” said Glass.

Nine out of ten insurance claims in this small town have been settled, but nearly 400 are still pending.

The city is also still waiting for an 11 million reimbursement from FEMA for debris removal.

While most of the physical scars in Blountstown have healed, the mental scars left by Michael are as fresh today as they were 11 months ago, thanks to another monster storm named Dorian.

Florida remains under a state of emergency as Hurricane Dorian begins to make its way North.

Evacuation orders are still in effect for much of Florida’s east coast, yet traffic across the state has remained relatively clear.

Traffic was miles long and flowing at a snails pace on I-10 west bound in 2017 as six million Floridians tried to escape Hurricane Irma’s path.

ON Tuesday, as Dorian inched up the state’s east coast, traffic was clear.

The Florida Highway Patrol said it’s the same around the state.

“People are just staying home, staying put and through the last monitoring, extremely light traffic patterns,” said FHP Director Col. Gene Spaulding.

During Hurricane Irma the rest stop we visited was essentially converted to a makeshift RV park full of evacuees.

However, after spending an hour there Tuesday, we were only able to find a handful of evacuees escaping Dorian even though 17 Florida counties had issued evacuation orders, 12 of them mandatory.

St Augustine resident Albert Stefanoiu was one of the million Floridians living in an evacuation zone.

He decided not to take any chances.

“It’s best to get out. You can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life,” said Stefanoiu.

Governor Ron DeSantis said part of the reason Dorian evacuations are running smoother compared to Irma is because the state gave local communities more say in where and when to issue evacuation orders.

“I think it’s worked better,” said DeSantis. “I think there was frustration in the past when people were kind of crisscrossing the state having to evacuate. Actually, some people evacuating into the storm path.”

Unless there’s a major shift in Dorian’s projected path it is unlikely escape routes will face the congestion seen during Irma, which is good news for those still considering evacuating.

While the threat of Dorian appears to be lessening, the Governor continues to urge Floridians to heed evacuation orders.

For an updated list visit Floridadisaster.org/info.

The State Emergency Operations Center is on day five of Hurricane Dorian watch.

As the storm inches toward Florida, the question on every Floridian’s mind is when the storm will take a turn North.

It could be the difference of a minor incident and a catastrophe.

While many in Florida used Labor Day as a time to evacuate or prepare for Hurricane Dorian, state emergency officials worked around the clock to ensure the state is ready for a possible landfall.

The morning Hurricane briefing was delayed 20 minutes while Governor Ron DeSantis spoke with the President.

“He’s going to provide whatever resources we need,” said DeSantis.

Counties along the east cost have issued evacuation orders.

As of 5 AM, storm had nearly stalled; a possible sign of a northern turn.

“Once we see the definitive movement north on which path that’s on, that’s going to allow us to kind of even more concisely, concretely, identify the places along Florida’s cost that are most at risk,” said DeSantis.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said 2,100 reports of price gouging have been received by her office.

Her office had made in-person contact with at least 150 businesses.

“I’m happy to report that in many instances we’ve had businesses reduce their prices,” said Moody.

Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis said both in and out of state search and rescue teams were ready for deployment.

“Right now, we’ve got 2,100 staged. Now, we don’t know exactly where the storm is going to hit,” said Patronis.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said the Department of Agriculture had more than a million gallons of water and almost two million meals staged.

She also waived rules to allow premium gas prices to be lowered if standard fuel runs out.

“So that if somebody was to come to any of the gas stations they would be able to get any of the gas that was there for the same low price,” said Fried.

The storm comes on an important tourism weekend for the state.

The Governor said the economic impacts can’t be measured yet.

“I want as robust tourism as possible, but my most important priority is that Floridians are safe,” said DeSantis.

The hope is to see the storm make a northern turn by Tuesday morning.

In the meantime, all of Florida remains under a state of emergency with the threat of Dorian looming just off the coast.

Go to floridadisaster.org/info for all evacuation updates.

A shifting Dorian has hurricane planners repositioning assets and hoping for the best, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the Governor says Florida is still likely to experience some of Dorians wrath.

“Don’t make any assumptions. Remain vigilant and be prepared” cautions the Governor. 

He’s also asking you to expect some of Dorians wrath.  

“You still looking at really significant storm surge on the east coast of Florida. You’re looking at major flooding events in parts of the state” says DeSantis.

But there is other good news. Gas supplies are improving.

Q:”Governor, how would you describe the fuel situation today as opposed to yesterday?”

“Better, yeah, we’ve had the trucks. They were in all night refueling. Those are now moving to the gas stations.”

Price gouging complaints continue to roll in, now totaling more than 1400. Attorney General Ashley Moody says one gas station raised prices over night “two dollars or more a gallon.”

After visits, culprits lowered prices.

“We have a rapid response team in the field. Investigators responding to locations. I can tell you, there have been instances already where they’ve responded. Prices were decreased, refunds have been given” says the AG.

And in an effort to prevent another nursing home tragedy like the one that took 14 lives during 2017’s Irma, the Agency for Health Care Administration visited every home that was not shown in compliance with generator requirements.

“Every nursing home in this state has a generator with the exception of three that have an emergency plan that would require evacuation” says AHCA Secretary Mary Mayhew

Early this week, just 80 percent of the nursing home and assisted living facilities were

listed as in compliance with the law.

Dorian’s path remains uncertain as of Friday night, but the Governor is warning the storm will likely be a multi-day event for most of the state.

Because of the uncertainty, all 67 counties are under an emergency order.

The state has more than a million gallons of water in a Central Florida warehouse and plans on ordering more than a million meals for distribution once the storm passes.

Some gas stations are starting to run out of fuel.

Most remain busy.

“Just making sure I got it,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

The Governor said there is no shortage of gas, but there are not enough trucks to make deliveries.

“The emergency declaration waves service and truck weights for fuel trucks, so we can increase the capacity of fuel that’s brought in,” said DeSantis. “We’re also , starting today, implementing Florida Highway Patrol escorts for fuel trucks, so we can facilitate refueling in critical parts of the state.”

Florida is nervous.

“If you are in an area that has an impact from this storm, you should assume you’re gonna lose power,” said DeSantis.

It is the storms uncertainty that people from across the state taking precautions.

“Who knows, didn’t want to take a chance,” said Tallahassee local Rick Gittens.

Two thousand National guard troops will be on active duty by the end of the day Friday.

“By the end of the day tomorrow, it’ll be doubled to about four thousand. We‘re trying to be responsive but not over zealous,” said Major General James Eifert.

During the state of emergency’s first twenty four hours, the Attorney General Ashley Moody said 568 alleged price gouging complaints were filed, mostly involving water or gas.

“Some have not been cooperative, and in fact insisted that in order to do something we might have to send someone with a badge, which I will oblige,” said Moody.

The state will be opening the shoulders of major roadways to ease evacuations, once ordered.

Deciding who should leave and when will be decided by local officials.

The decision to move Saturday’s FSU game from Jacksonville to Tallahassee in advance of Hurricane Dorian’s landfall has posed logistical challenges to both the university and the capital city.

Hotels are expected to be completely booked through the weekend from a combination of fans and evacuees.

The last minute decision to swap venues for the FSU game against Boise State was a huge task for the team.

“It’s been crazy. Everything from popping popcorn to getting hay for the horse,” said Associate Athletic Director Rob Wilson.

Friday afternoon, less than a day out, the team was ready.

A few RV’s had already reserved spots.

Tallahassee residents Kathleen and John Pirtle had planned to travel to Jacksonville.

“It actually made it easier for us,” said John.

But the Pirtles said that’s not the case for everyone.

“We’ve got some good tailgating friends from Mexico Beach and were completely wiped out last year and they’re now living 100 miles south of Jacksonville. So they said they were feeling PTSD all over again,” said John.

FSU anticipates 40,000 plus fans to show, it’s about on par with ticket sales when the game was scheduled in Jacksonville.

By mid-day Friday more than half of the city’s hotels were booked solid from the influx of fans and evacuees escaping Hurricane Dorian.

Kerri Post with Visit Tallahassee said accommodations are being made to ensure space.

“Typically football games are a two night minimum, but the majority of hotels have relaxed that,” said Post.

The game’s noon kickoff is no coincidence.

“The idea being if you do come to the game you’re going to have time to get back to wherever you need to go and then do what you need to do to be prepared for the storm,” said Wilson.

The game is expected to bring between $3 million and $5 million to Tallahassee.

In contrast, the change of venue means Jacksonville will lose out on the economic activity of 30,000 out of town visitors.

Jacksonville’s Mayor Lenny Curry said it’s worth the cost to ensure the safety of the public.

People looking for lodging in Tallahassee either to escape the storm or attend the game, can go to visittallahassee.com to check hotel availability.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said her office received 568 complaints over alleged price gouging as of the opening of business this morning.

About half came through the new app Florida No Scam, the other half from the traditional hot line.

Moody said the majority of complaints are about gas and water.

She said some companies have not been as cooperative as they should be when contacted by investigators.

“Gas stations need be aware we are following this closely. We got some reports that some had increased prices overnight. I can tell you that in trying to be proactive about that, some have not been cooperative. In fact insisted in order to do something about that, we may need to send someone with a badge, which I will oblige,” said Moody.

Under Flordia law, when there is a state of emergency, which has now been declared in all 67 counties, companies can not raise prices higher than the average price over the last 30 days unless then can prove their costs increased.

If you see what you believe is price gouging the number to call is 866-966-7226 or use the Florida No Scam App for Android and Apple devices.

The State Emergency Operations Center will soon begin working around the clock to prepare for Dorian’s landfall.

Three days before the start of hurricane season, Governor Ron Desantis, put a note in the Western Wall in Jerusalem, asking Flordia be spared this hurricane season.

Unless Dorian makes a dramatic turn, the note will have worked for just under a hundred days.

“Obviously, the Governor and I both hoped this would not be the situation,” said State Emergency Director Jared Moskowitz. “The state has been hit by two major storms over the last two years.”

On Friday, the state EOC will shift into 24/7 operation.

Its mission is complicated by a somewhat erratic forecast track for Dorian.

“I am extremely sensitive of the forecast tracks that take this into the Gulf and potentially spin it into the Panhandle,” said Moskowitz. “Obviously that is the worst case scenario.”

In the past, emergency managers have said you need three worth days of supplies.

This is the first year they’ve said you need seven.

“We have to look at previous storms, right? They are getting stronger, the stronger they are, the greater the impact. I don’t want people to run out of supplies and then, because of power issues or road issues, they can’t go get supplies,” said Moskowitz.

As people seek supplies, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has activated her price gouging hotline.

She is also asking airlines to facilitate tourists who want to leave the state early.

“I’ve already been on the phone this morning with airlines, making sure they are going to waive fees for those that are trying to change tickets to get out of Florida, who are trying to evacuate,” said Moody.

FSU has moved its football opener from Jacksonville back to Tallahassee.

The Decision made by FSU and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.

“This is about the safety of people above all,” said Curry.

The FSU games was set for 7PM Saturday night in Jacksonville.

I will now be played at noon in Tallahassee.