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Florida Democrats are worried that the battle over delegates will hamper candidates up and down the November Ballot. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, a promised decision on a mail in primary still has not been made.

Hear it here: Democrats Still in Limbo

In the 2000 election, just a handful of votes changed the outcome. Florida Democrats now  say if the state’s delegates are not seated and counted at the party convention this summer, the national party might as well give up on winning Florida in November.

“I don’t think that the DNC understands the growing anger here in the state of Florida,” Senator Steve Geller said.

Since a proposal for a mail in ballot was released on Friday, the national party, both presidential hopefuls, and all of Florida’s congressional Democrats have said it is a lousy idea.

By mid-afternoon Democrats were close, but still not ready to pull the plug on the mail-in vote.

Around the Capitol, there is concern that fewer democrats going to the polls could  hurt the party’s chances of picking up a half dozen legislative seats.

Frustration is the word that best describes Senate Democratic Leader Steve Geller’s mood.

“One of the things I think we’re very close to doing, that I’m very close to doing, is to call upon all donors to the DNC to completely cut off all their donations, to redirect it to the state party instead,” Geller said.

While Democrats worry, Republicans continue to push the idea of seating all of the delegates, knowing full well the turmoil helps their party in the end.

State Democrats are waiting on a decision from their National Committee chairman and both presidential hopefuls on whether to proceed with a mail in election. But as Whitney Ray tells us, the plan for a mail in redo raises more question than it answers.

Never in Florida’s history has a statewide election been held through the mail. The US Postal service all but guarantees ballot security.

“We have the postal inspection service and inspectors uphold specific statues for covering aimed at securing the mail,” said Marlena Hopkins, US Postal Service.

The postal service has stricter regulations for political mail. It’s marked with a red or green tag and logged at almost every stop. One problem with a mail in redo would be finding all the registered voters. Election supervisors say at any given time 20 percent of registered votes haven’t updated their addresses.

Leon County Election Supervisor Ion Sancho says if a ballot is sent to the wrong address, whomever receives the mail could cast a vote, registered democrat or otherwise. Sancho supervised a 2005 citywide mail in election.

“It’s simply not an idea that can go forward this time. You don’t want to do an election at the last second without anticipating that there would be a myriad of problems,” said Sancho.

They would also need the Secretary of State’s office to verify voters’ signatures. The Secretary of State’s Office says they’re hands are tied.

“There’s no law that would give the secretary or the supervisors the authority to verify those signatures, so we would have to work through some legal hurdles,” said Sterling Ivey a Spokesperson with the Secretary of State’s Office.

Governor Charlie Crist wants the delegates seated based on the January 29th results, but he says if the mail-in redo is held, he would offer his support. State Democrats expect to have an answer from the Democratic Nation Committee Monday, about whether or not they would uphold a Mail in Redo to seat Florida’s delegates.

A senate committed organized to investigate insurance companies accused of overcharging customers released recommendations aimed at keeping the companies in check. The panel proposed 16 recommendations to the senate president. Some of the panel’s suggestions are already proposed in other bills being heard this legislative session. Some of the recommendations include making insurers use methods approved by the state to asses risk. The panel also wants regulator to set guidelines to keep companies from charging too much. Insurance Regulators say many Insurance companies are working with lawmakers.

“Anytime that we can get the support of the legislature and the people who represent the consumers it’s a very positive thing for commissioner McCarty and everyone at the office works hard to ensure rates remain adequate affordable and not discriminatory,” ED Domansky a spokesman with the Office of Insurance Regulation said.

One of the recommendations would require insurers to give money to state programs aimed at helping people harden their homes.

Florida’s a few steps closer to hosting a mail in Democratic primary. But it is not a done deal. The State party’s chairwoman has released details but says a decision won’t be final until Monday. As Whitney Ray tells us, the party leadership is not optimistic the mail in will take place.

Hear it here: Primary Redo Up to DNC and Democratic Presidential Candidates

Senate Democratic leader Steve Geller took the democrats plan to the Governor’s office. With a hand shake, Governor Charlie Crist told Geller he would do what he could to grant the Democratic Party access to a state database to verify voter signatures.

“If you can find a way to make that plan work, certainly someone can be designated to help,” Crist said to Geller in a meeting in his office.

Democrats say signature verification is the key to a valid election. The clock is ticking. Right now the Democratic National Committee won’t seat Florida’s delegates because the state moved up its primary. Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman sent this proposal to both candidates and DNC Chairman Howard Dean. It lays out a plan for a Florida Do-over. Thurman avoided the media for more than a week. She broke her silence in a Thursday afternoon news conference, telling reporters the two presidential candidates must sign off on the plan.

“If this is not what the people of Florida and our candidates want, we’re not going to do it,” Thurman said.

The state party is less than optimistic the candidates or national party will sign off on the mail in do over. Thurman says putting the plan forward is a starting place

“What we’re doing here today is just putting the things out there. What ever people’s decisions are and if this becomes something we can’t do then we can’t do it,” Thurman said.

The cost of a mail in redo was first estimated at 6 million. It is now up to between 10 and 12 million dollars and state party leaders don’t know yet who will pony up the money. Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman says, if the DNC and the candidates don’t like the mail in election plan, the party will continue to ask that the candidates be seated based on the January 29th results.

Right now people, who try to pay their property taxes in Florida and can’t pony up the entire amount, are penalized. Tax collectors will actually send the partial payment back, plus a penalty. State lawmakers want to change the rules and allow landowners to pay in installments.

“I you have a 2,000 dollar tax bill and you get down to the end of the road and the tax payer only has a thousand dollars in his pocket . We’re saying we would like to be fair to you and deposit that check instead of sending it back to you with a penalty and interest on the whole thing. We think that’s a more fair way to run government and we think it’s fair to the taxpayers particularly now when property taxes are higher than ever,” said State Representative Seth McKeel.

The bill passed several committees. It has one more stop before it reaches the chambers.

Florida’s theme music could change. For decades “Suwannee River” has been Florida’s state song. At a Senate committee meeting this morning lawmakers approved legislation to change the song. The song is offensive to many Floridians because of racially charges lyrics. Lawmakers are pushing a bill that would change the state song to “Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky.”

“I think the time that that song was adopted by resolution in 1935, is not the Florida we know today. I think that the Florida we see today is Where the Sawgrass meets the sky,” said Anthony Hill, a State Senator from Jacksonville.

Governor Charlie Crist called the current song “outdated” and didn’t play it at his inauguration

Proposed legislation could cost Florida drivers their vehicles, if they’re caught speeding three times. The original bill would have allowed law enforcement officers to confiscate motorcycles from drives who where caught driving faster than one hundred miles per hour. The legislation was amended this morning. Now the bill would allow the confiscation of all vehicle if their owners were caught driving more than 50 miles an hour over the speed limit three times. Motorcycle enthusiasts welcome the change, because they say the former bill discriminated against bikers.

“I think it’s a good bill. It’s a problem obviously in specifically in South Florida, that’s where the problem seems to be the worst, and we want to help the law enforcement take care of the problem,” said Winn Peeples representing the Florida Motorcycle Dealer Association.

The bill also increases penalties for motorcyclists who pop wheelies on Florida’s Highways.

Last month the Florida Board of Education approved teaching the theory of Evolution in Florida’s classrooms. Since then, Republican lawmakers have filed legislation to protect teachers who present holes in Darwin’s theory to their students. As Whitney Ray tells us, a celebrity is supporting the bill but the ACLU says the legislation is really about teaching religion in the classroom.

Hear it here: Ben Stein Lobbies Lawmakers to Protect Teaching Against Evolution

The movie “Expelled” claims people who argue against the theory of evolution are losing their jobs and being persecuted. Ben Stein produced the documentary. Stein was in Tallahassee Wednesday, to support proposed legislation to protect teachers who want to debate the origin of man.

“I don’t think the bill is aimed at protecting intelligent design. It’s aimed at protecting freedom of speech,” said Stein.

Last month, Florida’s Board of Education approved a measure that requires teaching the theory of evolution in public schools. Since then lawmakers filed the academic freedom bill. ACLU members said the bill is religion in disguise

“This has nothing to do about academic freedom, this has to do religion, this is an attempt to circumvent what the board of education decided to do in Florida,” said Larry Spalding of the ACLU.

Propionates of the bill hope Ben Stein’s movie can persuade lawmakers. There’s a free screening of the movie for lawmakers. The public and the media aren’t invited. Some said the screening is state business and banning citizens is illegal. Organizers of the event say lawmakers won’t discuss the film so the meeting isn’t open.

“I guess if they do what they say they’re going to do, it’s not an open meeting. If they do what everybody thinks they’re going to do, then they’re violating open meeting laws,” said Spalding.

Stein’s documentary claims information about evolution is being kept from students, but that hasn’t stopped him, at least for now, from keeping his movie from them either. Expelled is set to hit movie theaters by the middle of April.

For the third year in a row, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the National Rifle Association are facing off over a proposed gun bill. The NRA is backing legislation that would allow employees to keep their guns in their cars while they are at work. The Florida Chamber of Commerce leaders say it should be up to individual business owners to decide if they want guns in their parking lots.

“If you’re looking at a situation where people are going to have guns, even if no one is using a gun, a gun can go off accidentally, and you still have a situation where you’re going to be looking out for the safety of your employees. But at the end of the day it’s a decision that an employer has to make on their own, and whether or not they want to derail the risks associated with it some employers do some employees don’t, but it’s not the government’s decision to make,” said Adam Babington with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

“This bill is about law abiding people having firearms in their own personal private vehicles for self-defense in parking lots, nothing more. It never has been about guns at work,” said former NRA president Marion Hammer.

This is the third year lawmakers have looked at this bill.

Florida Democrats are on the verge of announcing a mail in redo election to select their delegates. A party poll shows the majority of democrats who voted January 29th favor the re-vote, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, many believe the idea is a mistake.

Hear it here: Democrat Redo On the Way

Chris and Tammy Webb both voted in the Democratic primary January 29th. Both are also against a redo.

“I don’t like it,” Chris Webb said.

“We voted the way that we wanted to vote the first time around and it’s really not necessary,” Tammy Webb said.

But an internal poll released at the Capitol Wednesday suggests the Webbs are in the minority of Democrats.

“Fifty-nine percent of the 1.7 million voters have determined that we should do a do-over,” Senator Steve Geller said.

A mail -in ballot plan has been drafted by Florida Democrats, but party chairwoman Karen Thurman is staying behind closed doors. We called for an interview.

But a spokesman says she’s too busy to talk. But GOP Chairman Jim Greer wasn’t

“They say what will it do to that 1.7 million Democrats that went to the polls on January 29th? I think it’s going to disenfranchise those voters,” Greer said.

We met Independent voter Crystal Files and her daughter Aaron playing in the park.

The controversy over delegates has her so embarrassed she doesn’t even want to call Florida home.

“Why can’t we be like every other state and do things right the first time?” Files said. “I’m ashamed of it and sometimes I’m ashamed of being a Floridian.”

While moving forward, the Democrats still don’t know where they’ll get the ten million dollars the mail-in election will cost.

The final plan for a mail in ballot, barring any unforseen changes, will be announced Thursday. The poll also found that up to one in four democrats may not vote in November if their voices are not heard at the Democratic Convention.

The Florida Senate has given tentative approval to legislation prohibiting students from showing their underwear at school. The so called droopy drawers bill would give students a pass on the first offense, but three day and ten day in school suspensions would follow if students continue to show their undergarments. Sponsor Gary Siplin says the idea is to eliminate distractions.

“In education, we teach our kids how to do arithmetic, how to type, how to drive,” Siplin said. “We should also teach our kid how to dress. And the way some of the kids are coming to school, showing their underwear, their g-string and things like that, that’s a distraction and we want to prevent that.”

The legislation still faces a tough time in the state House.

Florida Realtors are reporting 20 to 30 percent increases in the number of pending sales since January. They credit Amendment one, which allowed homeowners to take their property tax savings with them when them move. Realtor spokesman John     Sebree says the increases are showing up across the state.

“That’s given people hope. I went to the property appraiser’s website myself to look at what amount I have that’s portable from one home to another, which starts to make us think about the property that we could now afford that we probably couldn’t previously,” Sebree said.

The Realtors also say the sales are across all lines of residential property…condos, town homes and single family homes.

A million dollars in paid advertising is hitting Florida airways this week, urging homeowners to sign up for a free home inspection. The home inspections are designed to suggest improvements homeowners can make to strengthen their homes against hurricanes. My Safe Homes spokesman Kevin Cate says homeowners whose homes are inspected will likely save money in the long run.

“They can get online, they can go to mysafefloridahome.com and apply for a free wind inspection,” Cade said. “A wind inspector will then come to their home and see if they qualify for discounts to their wind insurance.”

Grants of up to five thousand dollars are also available to homeowners to help them cover the costs of improvements.

Florida’s economic health is deteriorating. Economist met Tuesday in Tallahassee to estimate how much money the state will have in the general fund next year. As Whitney Ray tells us early estimates show a deficit of nearly 3 billion dollars.

Hear it here: Budget Cuts Higher Than Expected

Sales tax collections and real estate taxes remain down. Even liquor and cigarette tax collections are slow. Tuesday the news went from bad to worse. Economists say Florida’s budget will have even less money than once thought. Lawmakers say the cuts will continue.

“Unfortunately it’s going to mean programs and services are not only going to be cut, but eliminated all together,” said state representative Curtis Richardson.

What‘s eliminated is still to be decided. This is the first time in state history that lawmakers have had less money two years in a row to balance the budget and they don’t see relief in sight. Lawmakers are getting ready to cut an extra 500 million dollars from this year’s budget. Education will take the brunt of the blow, with schools losing more than 300 million. Lawmakers say with such a huge deficit nothing is safe from next year’s budget cuts.

“I don’t think there’s any sacred cow in Tallahassee, business are having to reduce families are, government will as well,” state representative Ray Sansom said.

Florida’s hospitals have already seen a billion dollar cut in reimbursements. The news of a larger than expected deficit worries executives.

“Hospitals will have to decide will there remain trauma centers. Hospitals will have to decide, will they continue to do burn centers, will they continue to offer neonatal level three centers, all those services which are very costly tend to lose money and hospitals will have to evaluate if they continue to offer them,” said Rich Rasmussen, a spokesperson for the Florida Hospital Association.

The governor continues to say the state can avoid big cuts by dipping into its rainy day fund, but so far lawmakers only see clouds.

Seven Bills proposed by Democratic lawmakers aim at saving energy and the environment. Tuesday in Tallahassee, House democrats announced their “Dollars and Sense” plan. The plan includes extra incentives for people who buy hybrids. It places a mandate on businesses to sell energy saving appliances and provides a tax credit for homeowners who install solar panels or wind powered systems. Democratic lawmakers said the budget cuts shouldn’t affect their bill package.

“What we’re looking for as democrats here is looking for the most efficient way, the least expensive way to accomplish our goals. We know just building new power plants and doing the same things we are doing now isn’t going to work, we are going to have to do something else that is better for Floridians and better for the environment,” said Florida Representative Mary Brandenburg.

One of the seven proposed bills would require government agencies to buy only hybrids or other fuel efficient vehicles.