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For the second time this election season, a candidate has been forced from the race over sexual misconduct. This time it is the frontrunner for the Marion County Sheriffs job, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the departure of the mainstream candidate has opened the door for a less conventional candidate.

In 1976, Bernie DeCastro got life for armed robbery. After finding God he was paroled in 1984. 

For the last 25 years, DeCastro has run a halfway house, working to keep other offenders from going back to prison. “I’m a carpenter” says one inmate as De Castro responds “We’ll be able to find you something”.

Now he is running for the Sheriff of Marion County Florida, promising to do things differently if elected. “We are going to work with the men in the county jail who have not been convicted who are there for low-level, non-violent mostly substance abuse crimes is which is primarily what we have here and begin to work with them using alternative sanctions instead of just leaving them to rot in a county jail for six months so” says De Castro.

As a former felon, DeCastro didn’t have a snowball’s chance against the established candidates. But then a strange thing happened. Undersheriff Dan Kuhn was forced from the race when his mistress told of sex on duty.   The loser in the GOP primary has been named to take his place, but his name isn’t on the ballot.

As De Castro campaigned on the streets of Ocala he told one potential voter “I’m a strong supporter of the Constitution. I carry it with me everywhere I go”.

Moments later he was talking with another voter. “And what we do is to reduce recidivism by 15 percent, alright. We help people get jobs”.

If he wins, DeCastro could be the first sheriff to have gone to jail before being elected; instead of the other way around.

Fundraising is not in his favor. The established GOP candidate has raised about two hundred thousand dollars. De Castro has raised about thirty.

We are hearing for the first time from Governor Rick Scott, on those new controversial education standards. The goals hold white students to a higher standard than black students. As Whitney Ray tells us, Scott won’t say if the Board of Education should keep its race based goals.

Talking to reporters Thursday Governor Rick Scott was asked seven times about controversial new learning goals set for students based on their race. Each question received a similar response.

Reporter: Do you want them to do away with the race based standards?

Scott: I want them to focus on how do we make sure every child is proficient.

The state Board of Education adopted the goals last week. The strategic plan calls for 90 percent of Asian students and 88 percent of white students to be reading at grade level by 2018. The bar is lower for Hispanic and black students.

The goals are only based on race for the first five years of the board’s plan. By 2022, the board wants ALL races performing at grade level in math and reading.

But that caveat doesn’t satisfy House Democrats, who say the different standards will cause division.

“It is demoralizing,” said Representative Alan Williams.

“We should not have disparate goals for all of our children,” said House Minority Leader Darryl Rouson.

Democrats are calling for a brand new plan, leaving race out of the equation. In a written statement released Tuesday Scott seemed to sympathize, but when I pushed for specifics, the governor wouldn’t provide any.

Reporter: They’ve made a five year strategic plan that’s really upset a lot of people, so at their next board meeting on November 6th do you think any words in that plan should be changed?

Scott: I think their plan should be 100 percent focused on making sure every child in this state is proficient.

If changes are made they would most likely be adopted at the board’s next meeting on November 6th. As of Thursday, no agenda for that meeting had been posted.

The board used a formula to set its goals, based on how different races are performing right now. In a statement released earlier this week the board defended those goals, saying the quickest way to close the achievement gap among different races is to address the issue head on.

Ben Crump, the attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family is asking the court for access to George Zimmerman’s medical records. C

rump claims Zimmerman was on three prescription drugs the night he shot and killed Martin. Crump’s request comes as Zimmerman’s attorney is asking the court for access to Martin’s Facebook profile and school records. Crump says the medical records are more important to the case than Martin’s Facebook posts and school history.

“At this time we are demanding the release of George Zimmerman’s medical records because they are far more relevant than Trayvon Martin’s middle school and high school records,” said Crump.

A hearing in the case is slated for tomorrow.

The FSU Student Senate is condemning changes to Florida’s election laws and recent voter purge efforts.

Wednesday the student senate passed resolution 43 which says “We the students at the Florida State University find the voter suppression tactics employed by the State of Florida are completely unacceptable, and demand that the state halt any further efforts to purge the voter registry.” We asked Governor Rick Scott about the resolution. Scott pointed to an increase in absentee voting as evidence his policies aren’t suppressing votes.

“The proof is in the pudding. Look at what’s happened. If you take from 2008 to the primary this year, absentee votes or early voting was up 52 percent, a dramatic increase,” said Scott.

The student senators are calling on other student governments to adopt similar resolutions. As for the state’s efforts to remove illegally registered voters from the roles, they’ve been put on hold until after the election.

The state is honoring businesses that hire people with disabilities.

Today in Tallahassee, Governor Rick Scott thanked seven Florida businesses working to lower the unemployment rate for disabled Floridians. Among those honored were Universal Orlando Resort, Sirata Beach Resort and Conference Center in St. Petersburg, Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Miller’s Ale House in Daytona Beach, Mangrove Mike’s Café in Islamorada, Habitat for Humanity in Pasco County and Baptist Health South Florida in Miami. After the ceremony Governor Rick Scott told reporters everybody deserves an opportunity to work.

“Everybody wants a job so it’s nice to recognize these companies that are helping individuals with disabilities get a job, keep a job, helping them with their training,” said Scott.

By some estimates the unemployment rate among those with disabilities is as high as 70 percent. But US Labor statistics show the unemployment rate is around 16 percent, when only factoring in people with disabilities who are actively looking for a job.

An update tonight on those controversial goals set by the Florida Board of Education. Last week the board adopted achievement goals for students based on their race. As Whitney Ray tells us, now the governor has jumped into the debate… he’s asking the board to rework its plan.

Maybe the goals should have been written more tactfully. Maybe they shouldn’t have been written at all, but with this vote, the State Board of Education set achievement targets for students based on their race.

Representative Darryl Rouson is outraged. The board is trying to get 74 percent of black students to read at grade level by 2018, but is setting a higher bar for Asian and White students. Rouson has three children in public school.

“I would not want any teacher of my children who attend public schools to have a different expectation or goal for them,” said Rouson.

One week after the board adopted the standards based on race the governor got into the debate. Tuesday Governor Rick Scott told the board to clarify their strategic plan.

Scott says the board needs to make sure its goals are for all races to achieve 100 percent proficiency. Scott writes “I would ask the board to more completely incorporate this recognition into its strategic plan so that we can focus on helping every student to achieve the highest level of success.”

At last Tuesday’s meeting the board did set a goal for all students to reach grade level in reading and math by 2022. In a one-on-one interview with Education Commissioner Pam Stewart last Friday, she told me in order to reach 100 percent proficiency, racial achievement gaps have to be addressed.

“We have to look at where our students are right now and how are we going to get all our students to proficiency,” said Stewart.

I asked the Department of Education for another interview to find out if the board plans to rework its goals, but the Department couldn’t make anyone available by our news deadline.

The Department of Education did send us this response from Chairman Gary Chartrand. Chartrand writes “The measurements will ensure that we are on track and can close the gap faster. To be clear the interim targets will not determine our success. The absence of an achievement gap will.”

The statement doesn’t address the issue of whether or not the board will rework its strategic plan.

Florida’s incoming legislative leaders are making ethics reform a top priority.

This week incoming Senate President Don Gaetz and Future House Speaker Will Weatherford both listed ethics reform as a top legislative priority. The two Republican leaders want members to disclose if they have a conflict of interest before they vote on a bill. They also want to stop lawmakers from taking government jobs after they serve. Dan Krassner is the directory of Integrity Florida, a government watchdog group devoted to ethics reform.

“Integrity Florida is encouraged that our incoming Senate President and incoming Speaker of the House are going to prioritize ethics reform and campaign finance reform. It’s been 36 years since Floridians have seen meaningful ethics reform come out of the capitol and we’re optimistic that 2013 is going to be the year,” said Krassner.

Integrity Florida is also encouraging lawmakers to stop Committees of Continuous Existence. CCEs can operate year round and often hide who contributes to their campaigns and what interest they serve.

The Florida Board of Education has set new goals for students based on their race. The board has a higher bar for Asian and white students, and sets less lofty goals for Hispanic and black students. As Whitney Ray tells us, critics of the plan call the different standards demoralizing.

With this vote, the State Board of Education sealed a plan, laying out expectations for students based on their race.

The board’s strategic plan calls for 90 percent of Asian students and 88 percent of white students to be reading at grade level or higher by 2018. The bar is lower for Hispanic students at 81 percent and lower still at 74 percent for black students.

“It is demoralizing,” said State Representative Alan Williams.

Williams says the board needs to rethink its strategy.

“The Board of Education should probably go back to the drawing board as it relates to this and really get some more input from other constituencies,” said Williams.

The goals weren’t set haphazardly; they’re actually based on an equation involving how different races of students are performing right now.

Sixty-nine percent of white students read at grade level, 53 percent of Hispanic students, and 38 percent of black students hit the mark.

In a one-on-one interview with Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, she told me only the six year plan has goals based on race. By 2022 the board wants all students at 100 percent proficiency in reading and math.

“The board very clearly has a goal that 100 percent of our students will be proficient. It is in our mission, vision statement and so when we look at that we have to look at where our students are right now,” said Stewart.

Stewart also says students won’t notice a difference in the classroom, but critics say the message alone promotes division.

The board didn’t just set goals based on race. By 2018, the board wants large overall gains in math and reading. Right now only 57 percent of ALL Florida students read at their grade level and 58 percent are proficient in Math. The board is raising the bar to 83 percent for reading and 82 for math.

Election supervisors are warning voters tonight. They say this year’s long ballot could mean long lines on Election Day. There are 11 proposed amendments on the ballot and as Whitney Ray tells us, if voters decided to read them all in the booth on Election Day people could be waiting hours to vote.

It’s not the most compelling writing, but the 11 ballot questions on the November ballot could drastically change the Florida Constitution. The language is technical. The font is small. In total the amendments take up three pages on the ballot.

It took me 14 minutes and 10 seconds to read them all. Now imagine everyone trying to read them in the voting booth on Election Day. The lines could be enormous. That’s why Chris Cate with the Division of Elections says start researching now.

“Definitely read the sample ballot before you get to the polling place it’s really going to help you know what you are getting into before you vote,” said Cate.

Cate is also encouraging people to vote early or request an absentee ballot. Some elections supervisors are taking it a step further.

“Instead of waiting for early voting to begin on October 27th, people are coming here to the office. They are requesting absentee ballots here. They are voting them here in the privacy booths we’ve set up,” said Ion Sancho, Leon County Supervisor of Elections.

This is the first election in Florida where there has been an organized effort for in-person absentee voting. It comes as early voting is cut from two weeks to one.

Nearly two million Floridians have requested absentee ballots, 147-thousand absentees have already been returned. To study up on the constitutional amendments you can visit knowyourvotecounts.com and click on the amendment link at the bottom of the screen or request a sample ballot from your supervisor of elections.

Award winning actor and Seinfeld star Jason Alexander is in Florida asking college students to vote for President Barack Obama. Alexander is just one of dozens of celebrities endorsing the president. Mitt Romney is also getting celebrity backing. But as Whitney Ray tells us, it may not matter that much.

It was politics with a side of humor at Florida State University Wednesday. Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza on Seinfeld, spoke to a crowd of students, asking them to vote for President Barack Obama.

Alexander told the students, government spending is the best way to save the economy. As for Mitt Romney’s plan of spending cuts and tax breaks, Alexander says it would bring “shrinkage” to the economy.

“I don’t anticipate it working again so yes, there could be significant shrinkage and it won’t be because he was in the pool,” said Alexander.

Celebrities are lining up behind both candidates. Romney has his own comedian, Jeff Foxworthy.

And who can forget this moment from Clint Eastwood?

“What do you want me to tell Romney? I can’t tell him to do that,” said Eastwood to an empty chair at the RNC in August.

But do celebrity endorsements even matter? I spoke with a political science professor here at FSU who says not really.

Carol: No, no evidence of that what so ever.
Reporter: What if the celebrity is really funny?
Carol: no.

Professor Carol Weissert says celebrities may not sway votes, but they can bring excitement to campaigns, especially among young voters.

“I think that the Obama administration is really trying to get out the youth vote,” said Weissert.

We found one undecided voter at the Alexander event.

“We’ll I wouldn’t have come out here if he wasn’t here so It could have a big impact,” said Eric Reiner, a sophomore at FSU.

After leaving FSU, the Seinfeld star headed to the University of Florida, in hopes of bringing laughs (nat) and securing votes for the president.
Alexander isn’t new to the political scene. He also traveled, speaking on Obama’s behalf, during the 2008 election cycle.

A huge victory for the children of illegal immigrants. A federal court ruled people born in Florida to parents who are illegal should be allowed to pay instate college tuition. As Whitney Ray tells us, the ruling could create a budget problem for state colleges and universities.

Thousands of US Citizens, who were born in the US and graduated from Florida high schools are being denied instate tuition. The reason, their parents are here illegally.

“I was born in Florida. I went to high school in Florida. I want to go to college in Florida,” Renator Lherisson.

Renator Lherisson is one of those students. He was born in Miami, but his Father, died while still a citizen of Haiti. Renator had no idea his fathers status would effect how much he pays for college.

“I applied like everybody else expecting that I would be paying instate fees and then they told me I would have to pay three times the amount,” said Renator.

Out-of-State tuition is about 700 dollars a credit hour, compared to 200 from instate students. The higher rates brought Renator and dozens of other students to the state capitol earlier this year to ask lawmaker for help. They didn’t get it.

While the students lost the battle in the state legislature, they won a federal court case. The judge ruled, charging the students more violates the 14th Amendment of the US constitution, which says everybody born in the US is entitled to equal protection under the law.

But that ruling could put a huge dent in education funding, costing the state an estimated 200 million dollars. We asked Governor Rick Scott how he planned to handle the budget problem.

“The Department of Education and the lawyers there are looking at that case. You know, you want to treat everybody fairly,” said Scott.

The State Board of Education met in Orlando Tuesday. The case was on their agenda, but without a written order from the judge discuss of an appeal was postponed.

The state could appeal the decision. If they do the instate tuition provision could be put on hold. If the state doesn’t appeal, Florida universities and colleges may have to rework their budgets next semester. Students who’ve paid out-of-state tuition, but are legal Florida residents may also be entitled to refunds.

The rush is on to register voters before tomorrow’s 5PM deadline. But as Whitney Ray tells us, if you haven’t registered by then there’s one last chance to sign up to vote.

County election offices around the state are buzzing with activity as the deadline to register to vote in the General Election fast approaches.

Floridians have until 5PM Tuesday to fill out one of these applications and secure their chance to vote in the general election. Leon County Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho says the foot traffic and the phone calls are nonstop.

“We are going to be out as late as we can legally to make sure that if you want to turn in that voter registration application you can do that,” said Sancho.

But if you do miss the 5PM deadline, you can stop by the post office and mail the applications before midnight and it will still be counted.

But don’t’ try the same trick with absentee ballots.

“Absentee ballots have to be in our physical possession by 7PM November the 6th Election Day,” said Sancho.

Ballots began mailing last week, which mean votes are already pouring into to elections offices. Division of Elections Spokesman Chris Cate says Florida voters have several options for casting a ballot.

“Beginning October 27th, from that Saturday to the following Saturday, you are going to be able to cast a ballot early at an early voting location. Sites are going to be open up to 12 hours a day,” said Cate.

As the deadline to register approaches Democrats continue to build upon their registration advantage, outpacing Republicans for eight straight months. As of October 6th, there were 4.7 million registered Democrat in Florida compared to 4.2 million Republicans.

No party affiliation and third party groups are also seeing a boost in members. The latest data available shows 2.8 million Floridians are registered NPA or with a smaller party.

The Florida Supreme Court will decide if it’s legal for electric companies to charge customers for nuclear power plants that haven’t been built. Two companies, Florida Power and Light and Progress Energy already are. As Whitney Ray tells us, a suit before the court today claims the companies have no intention of ever building the plants.

Since 2009 Florida Power and Light and Progress Energy customers have paid for two nuclear power plants yet to be built. A 2006 law allows companies to charge customers more than a decade before the plants produce one watt of electricity.

The legality of the law was challenged in the state’s highest court Thursday. A lawyer for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy told the court, the plants will never be built.

“The argument is these utilities don’t intend to build, they have not demonstrated the intent to build,” said Attorney Gary Davis.

Attorneys for the power companies say they will build the plants as soon as they finish the permitting process.

Progress Energy Attorney Steven Grimes: It’s incredible how difficult it is to get a COL (Combined Operating License).
Barbara Pariente: It’s incredible how expensive it is, somebody is making a lot of money.

FPL Attorney Raoul Cantero: Why are we going to spend all this money on licensing? We spent 27 million dollars just on licensing.
Peggy Quince: The people have actually spent that.

Customers have already paid an estimated one billion dollars. The companies say the plants will be built around 2022.”

The amount customers are charged changes from year to year, but right now the average Progress customer is paying $3.00 dollars a month. FPL customers pay $2.20.

Some of the money has already been used to repair old plants. FPL says the savings are already showing up in bills.

“Customers are already saving money for the vast majority of what’s been approved,” said Cantero.

But consumer advocates says the power companies are making the most off the deal and if it goes sour they can walk away and the customers won’t be refunded.

By the end of the year FPL says repairs made to old plants with part of the nuclear cost recovery money they’ve collected will save their customers an estimated 7.8 million dollars a month.

Tuition increases in Florida are complicated. There’s a 15 percent annual cap on tuition hikes.

For three of the past four year’s state lawmakers have raised tuition an average of seven percent. Then the University Systems Board of Governors has responded by raising it to the full 15 percent. Former Florida Governor Bob Graham says that’s now how it’s supposed to work. Graham is suing the legislature. His Attorney Robert Gibson argued before the Florida Supreme Court today that the legislature has no authority to raise tuition.

“Those state which have had constitutional government for 150 years, they set tuition. There is no case in the country to the contrary,” said Gibson.

A 2002 constitutional amendment championed by Graham created the University System’s Board of Governors.

Tonight President Barack Obama and Republican Challenger Mitt Romney will square off in the first of three debates leading up to the election. Many see this as a must win for Romney who is trailing in the polls after a rough September. Capital Correspondent Whitney Ray caught up with former Presidential Nominee John McCain who debated Obama in 2008 and has more on what Romney needs to do to win.

The last Republican to go toe-to-toe with President Barack Obama in a primetime debate says this time Obama can be beat.

“After I lost I slept like a baby. Sleep two hours wake up and cry. Sleep two hours wake up and cry,” said McCain.

Senator John McCain is in Florida stumping for Republican Nominee Mitt Romney.

“The President doesn’t lead,” said McCain.

McCain’s visit comes hours before Romney faces Obama in the first of three presidential debates.

The debate comes as this leaked video has Romney down in the polls. In it Romney tells a crowd of donors, 47 percent of the country is too dependant on entitlements. Many see the debates as Romney’s last chance. McCain disagrees.

“Nothing is must win, but obviously we want to see Governor Romney do well and we believe that he will do well. We can not underestimate the fact that President Obama is an excellent debater,” said McCain.

Since the President has a lead in the polls some political scientists say he should play defense in the debates and just try not to make any mistakes, but here at the Florida Democratic Party Headquarters, they’re saying the president should take nothing for granted.

Party Chairman Rod Smith says the president will tout recent economic successes.

“He should have a conversation with the American people about things that are on their mind. How is the economy looking? People are starting to feel better about the economy,” said Smith.

Both campaigns are lowering expectations for the debates, but no matter what happens both candidates will claim victory. There are three presidential debates and one debate for the vice presidential candidates. The first debate is tonight at 9:00. The final debate is in Boca Raton on October 22nd.