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To protect freshman Republicans, and their majority in the US House, the GOP brass is raising money in Florida. Today in the state capital House Majority Leader Eric Cantor led a fundraiser for Freshman Congressman Steve Southerland. As Whitney Ray tells us, Southerland is one of several freshman being targeted by Democrats.

House Majority leader Eric Cantor avoided our camera by using the backdoor at a fundraiser for Florida Congressman Steve Southerland Thursday. Out front, one of Southerland’s opponents, Democrat Al Lawson waved a campaign sign.

Lawson shook hands with Southerland before the freshman congressman went inside.

We asked the Southerland campaign for permission to go inside but they told us, to respect the privacy of the people donating between 500 and 5,000 dollars, our camera would have to stay outside.

Southerland also declined our request for an interview after the fundraiser and Cantor ignored us as he left.

Southerland is one of several freshmen the GOP brass is trying to protect in Florida.

“They are about to panic. They know they are in for a race. It’s going to be a tough race. They are in for a race and we are going to take Congress back,” said Lawson.

Democrats need to pick up 27 seats to retake the House. We asked Republican Party Chairman Lenny Curry if they’ve got a chance.

Reporter: Is that going to happen?
Curry: That’s not going to happen.

The picture will become clearer after the August 14th primary, when both parties have their official nominees.

Florida Congressman Allen West is another Freshman Republican being targeted by the Democrats. Republicans took control of the US House in 2010 in a historic election. If the Democrats take it back, it would be another one for the history books.

There are more than half a million uninsured kids in Florida.

Today Florida’s Healthy Kids Corporation launched its annual effort to boost enrollment in the KidCare program. KidCare is state subsidized health insurance for children in low-income families. Most families that qualify pay 20 dollars or less. Healthy Kids Board Member Wendy Link says over the last two years the program has help reduce the percentage of uninsured kids from 17 percent to 13.

“We are wanting to build on the success, close the gap, have even fewer uninsured children in our state and we are doing that with our new campaign called Kids Oughta Be Covered,” said Link.

The state wants families who qualify to sign up for coverage before school starts later this month. For more information about the Kids Oughta Be Covered campaign visit www.floridakidcare.org.

The state’s legal battle to remove non-citizens from the voting rolls may not be resolved until next year.

A federal judge overseeing a suit against the state has scheduled a date in the case for January. In the mean time the Florida Division of Elections is trying to get access to the Department of Homeland Security SAVE Database to check voters’ immigration status. The division’s spokesperson Chris Cate says they’re ready to start removing illegal voters as soon DHS hands over the database.

“As soon as that agreement is signed we will begin checking names through the SAVE database. As a matter of fact we are actually doing a training today on the SAVE program so when that agreement is signed we will already be prepared,” said Cate.

DHS has already verbally agreed to grant the state access to the database, but now they’re asking from more information before the agreement is put if in writing.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has been selected to speak at the Republican National Convention later this month. Governor Rick Scott will also give a speech. As Whitney Ray tells us, Bondi’s selection is setting up a competition between the two Florida Republicans over who will get the best time slot at the convention.

A rising star in the Republican Party, Attorney General Pam Bondi burst onto the stage in 2010, winning her first statewide election. Now Bondi’s in the national spotlight, joining a list of elite speakers at the Republican National Convention.

“I’m just very humbled to be on a list of such great speakers,” said Bondi.

Bondi’s not revealing many details.

“I don’t think I’m at liberty yet to reveal my topic,” said Bondi.

But fellow GOPer, Governor Rick Scott, is leaving little doubt about his speech.

“My job is to continue to talk about what we are doing in Florida and that we’re headed in the right direction,” said Scott.

There are primetime speaking roles at the convention and some not so prime spots, which means the attorney general and the governor will be in competition to see who gets the best slot.

Bondi already knows when she’ll be speaking, but she’s not telling.

Reporter: Do you know your slot yet?
Bondi: I do, but I can’t release that yet. I think the RNC wants to release all that information.”

While we wait on the speaker’s schedule, the focus shifts to Florida Senator Marco Rubio and what role he’ll play at the convention.

“I would certainly anticipate that Marco Rubio would be speaking as well,” said Bondi.

Political soothsayers believe if Rubio isn’t given a speaking role it means he’s Mitt Romney’s running mate. Romney is expected to announce his VP choice in the next couple of weeks.

More speakers will be announced later this week, including who will deliver the keynote address.

Florida Power & Light is seeking a 690 million dollar rate hike. That’s an average of seven dollars per customer a month. FPL says it’s really a dollar forty increase because falling fuel prices have lowered bills. The Florida Public Service Commission is listening to customers’ testimony this week. Governor Rick Scott, who says he’s trying to keep the cost of living low in Florida, is refusing to denounce the FPL’s request. He says it’s not his place.

“What I can have an impact on is how we spend your tax dollars. That’s what I’m responsible for. The commission is responsible to go through and look what the utilities are going to do,” said Scott.

Scott has no obligation to weight in on the hike, but Former Governor Charlie Crist denounced a FPL rate hike while he was in office and the PSC responded by drastically scaling back what FPL was allowed to charge. We asked Attorney General Pam Bondi her thoughts on the hike. She says she’s monitoring the situation.

Two Allstate subsidiaries companies want to raise rates more than 20 percent. Castle Key Indemnity Company is asking the Office of Insurance Regulation to approve a 22 percent rate hike. Castle Key Insurance Company is seeking a 32 percent statewide increase. The two companies say they need to raise rates to make up for millions of dollars in lost surplus. Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty says even though the state hasn’t seen a hurricane in years, insurers are losing money to other disasters.

“We haven’t had a hurricane in six years, but we’ve had a lot of damages and losses due to sinkholes. The legislature has done a lot to address that. We will be carefully scrutinizing the Castle Key filing to make sure that it comports with Florida law,” said McCarty.

OIR will decide if, or by how much, the companies can raise rates sometime during the next few months.

There is an exodus at the state capitol. Two of Governor Rick Scott’s agency heads quit last week. Seven have bolted since Scott took office. As Whitney Ray tells us, the governor’s enemies say there’s trouble in Tallahassee.

Gerard Robinson and Mike Hansen are the latest defectors, both announcing last week they’re leaving Governor Rick Scott’s administration.

Robinson, the soon to be former commissioner of education gave the usual reason for quitting; to spend more time with his family.

Since Scott took office he’s lost leaders at the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Department of State, Management Services, Economic Opportunity, Department of Health and Corrections.

“I’m appreciative of what they’ve accomplished in the first 18 months since I’ve become governor and I’m looking forward to new people coming on with new ideas and new energy, so it’s exciting,” said Scott.

While Scott claims there’s no deeper meaning behind the agency head exodus, his opponents claim there’s trouble at the state capitol.

“There are people in positions who are either ill equipped to be there or there is a lot of controversial speculation about their motives,” said Matt Puckett.

Puckett with the Florida Police Benevolent Association says Scott’s policies may be at the heart of the exodus. The PBA has battled with Scott over prison privatization and pension and won both court cases.

“I think the governor’s judgment should be called in to question quite a bit,” said Puckett.

Scott ran as a political outsider and promised to shake things up in Tallahassee, but keeping true to his mission may mean finding the leaders who share his goals and are willing to stay the course. Scott is also on his third chief of staff in less than two years.

Today is Florida’s first ever Purple Heart Day.

Governor Rick Scott signed a bill earlier this year declaring August 7th, a day to honor US soldiers injured in combat. This morning Purple Heart recipients attended a ceremony at the state capitol and were honored by cabinet members. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater says it’s hard to find the words to thank them.

“To all of you who’ve witnessed it close up and built the character to somehow know how to express that honor and duty, we are certainly grateful and in all our limitations maybe that’s all we can express is the greatest gratitude in the world,” said Atwater.

Cabinet members also honored Daniel Chairs, a Marine who died in Iraq in 2006. His parents and sister were at the ceremony and lit a candle with the governor.

The state could face as many as 11 lawsuits for the January pile up on I-75 that killed nearly a dozen people.

Friday the Florida Highway Patrol will release its report into what happened leading up to the crash. They’ll also respond to an April Investigation by FDLE saying mistakes were made. Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Director Julie Jones says after the report is released the state won’t be answering many questions, because they don’t want to jeopardize the lawsuits.

“So as not to confuse the public and confuse the facts, we are going to try to limit discussions on anything that would be performance based on the patrols part and have that come out as part of any type of litigation,” said Jones.

The pile up near Gainesville killed 11 people and injured 18. The section of I-75 was close briefly before the wrecks due to heavy fog and smoke in the area. At least one officer objected to the road being reopened.

Governor Rick Scott is standing by his Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll telling reporters today he doesn’t see a reason why he wouldn’t run with her in 2014.

Carroll is being accused by a former employee of having a sexual relationship with a female travel aide and possibly covering up an arson investigation inside the state capitol.

Reporter: Do you plan on having her as your running mate when you run for reelection in 2014.
Scott: She’s done a great job.
Reporter: But do you plan on having her as your running mate though, again?
Scott: She’s done a great job, why wouldn’t I?

Scott also says he supported Carroll’s decision to apologize to lesbian groups. While fighting off the accusations Carroll told reporters she was too pretty to be gay. She later apologized in writing for those remarks.

Governor Rick Scott will be speaking at the Republican National Convention later this month, although he doesn’t know what slot he’ll be given. He does know what he’s going to talk about.

Today Scott was asked if RNC organizers have to sign off on his speech. He said he doesn’t know, but the topic will be jobs.

“I want to make sure that people can get a job in Florida and the way you do it is you make this a better place to do business and that’s what we are going to keep doing and that is what I’m going to talk about,” said Scott.

Scott was asked if he can promote economic successes without contradicting Mitt Romney’s message that the economy is tanking and the president is to blame. Scott says he’s focused on Florida and isn’t worried about stepping on toes.

Governor Rick Scott is getting a speaking role at the Republican National Convention in Tampa later this month. As Whitney Ray tells us, Democrats couldn’t be happier.

Later this month Governor Rick Scott will be thrust into the national spotlight speaking in front of GOP faithful at the Republican National Convention. Scott’s expected to stick to his three talking points… jobs, jobs, jobs.

“The governor has done great things for Florida. He’s getting Floridians back to work,” said Kristen McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Republican Party of Florida.

McDonald says Scott can talk about the state’s improving economy, without contradicting Mitt Romney’s message that the national economy is in shambles and the president is to blame.

“What the governor’s done here in our state is implement commonsense conservative reforms that are brining business back to our state and getting Floridians back to work. But we could still use help. We could use a national partner in the White House,” said McDonald.

While Republicans see Scott’s appearance as a way to promote fiscally conservative ideas, Democrats will use the occasion to highlight Scott’s low approval ratings, like this poll showing a majority of Floridians disagree with the governor.

“Scott’s 52 percent disapproval rating is handicapping the Republican operation in Florida and it’s hamstringing Mitt Romney,” said David Bergstein, a spokesman with the Florida Democrats.

Democrats say they’re elated Scott and Romney will be sharing a stage even if it’s at different times.

“We are extremely happy to welcome Governor Scott to the campaign trail and look forward to hearing him explain how he and Mitt Romney share the same Tea Party vision,” said Bergstein.

Romney has made dozens of stops in Florida this campaign season. Not once, even when he was in the capitol city last October, did he meet publically with Scott.

Despite Scott’s low approval ratings,, when you look at Republicans alone, about 70 percent approve of the job the governor is doing. That’s the crowd Scott will be addressing at the convention, but his remarks will also be televised.

After spending 24 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Alan Crotzer remains in a Tallahassee Jail tonight without bond on a charge of attempted murder. Crotzer was accused of shooting into a car on Sunday afternoon. Now, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, Crotzer’s family says they are getting rough treatment from authorities.

25-year-old Sharika Harris has been engaged to Alan Crotzer for two years. She agreed to talk with us with her attorney present and only about what happened after Crotzer’s arrest.

“They said, ‘open up, ma’am, I have a search warrant,’” Harris said.

At ten Tuesday night, a full day after fiancée was arrested there was a knock on the door.

“So I opened the door, there were several guns in my face,” Harris said. “Everyone in the home is at gunpoint.”

Her attorney said he wouldn’t let us talk to Sharika about the case because the facts are still vague. He does question the level of police force.

“The threats, all of the drawn guns, the masks,” Attorney Tom Powell said.

Tallahassee Police say the level of force used to execute search warrants is based on the facts of a case.

Crotzer was arrested and charged with shooting into a car eight times, hitting the driver in the hip or leg.

This is where the alleged shooting took place, but questions are being raised about what happened next.

The victim turned left here at the Capitol and traveled three miles to a home near FAMU before reporting the shooting. A right turn would have taken him in the direction of a hospital.

Attorney Powell wonders how the injury was possible.

“I want to know how somebody can be in the driver’s seat, shoot through the passenger’s window of his own car, and get an angle low enough that it hits the thigh or the hip,” Powell said.

Friends of Crotzer continue to say the crime doesn’t make sense, asking why anyone who had already spent more than two decades in prison for a crime they didn’t commit would start shooting at someone over a CD.

Crotzer remains behind bars without bail,. He has been confined to a medical unit at the Leon County Jail since his arrest and is being treated for high blood pressure.

Florida is looking for a new education commissioner tonight. Gerard Robinson is leaving after just one year on the job, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, it was anything but a smooth year.

When FCAT writing scores plummeted in May, the State Board of Education had to call an emergency meeting and lower the grading scale by 25 percent just to keep the passing average the same as the year before.

Then, just last week, 213 schools got good news…their school grades were being increased by one letter because the department had miscalculated.

“I wouldn’t describe it as eating crow,” Robinson said back in May. “I would describe it as a process that the board and myself took a look at data.”

Now State Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson is quitting. In his letter of resignation he says it is to spend more time with his family. The teachers union says his downfall was not listening to those who know best.

“A good replacement would be someone who is willing to listen and act on what the concerns are of teachers, administrators, and parents,” Mark Pudlow, with the Florida Education Association said.

The Jeb Bush backed Foundation for Florida’s Future praised Robinson for pushing forward with what they call “important improvements to its standards and accountability system.”

The Governor doesn’t hire the commissioner of Education, but he does hire the people who do, which means he’ll have a lot of say in who gets the job.

Governor Rick Scott had pushed vigorously for Robinson shortly after easing the former commissioner out.

“I don’t think that’s an easy job,” Scott said. “I think he worked hard at it. I think the nice thing about Gerard is you know he cared about students, you know he cared about measurement.”

Robinson has been making $275,000 a year, making him one of the highest paid state employees in Florida, and he leaves his post just after his first anniversary on the job.

They are a voting block neither major party is publicly courting, but tonight we are learning there are enough former felons who’ve had their voting rights restored to significantly impact the outcome of the presidential election, but as Whitney Ray tells us, they may not know they are eligible to vote.

The rush is on to register voters who may not even know they’re eligible to cast a ballot. Thirteen thousand former felons had their voting rights restored, but didn’t get the message.

“They were gathering dust in a box,” said Howard Simon, the Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida.

The ACLU discovered thousands of Restoration of Civil Rights Certificates at Florida’s Parole Commission. The state mailed them, but the recipients had already moved.

“We are going to do what we can to notify as many people as possible,” said Simon.

Human rights experts here at FSU’s law school say the bigger issue is automatic restoration of civil rights. They say if felons had their rights restored at the completion of their sentence, taxpayers would save millions of dollars.

In 2009, Florida made civil rights restoration easier. Tens of thousands had their voting rights restored. The Parole Commission couldn’t keep up. But in 2011, Governor Rick Scott and the state cabinet slowed the restoration process. Since then only 78 people have had their rights restored.

Human Rights Advocate Mark Schlakman says the state could reduce the prison population by letting ex-felons cast ballots. He sites a parole commission report.

“There is a statistically significant positive correlation between restoring ones right to vote and a sharp drop in recidivism,” said Schlakman.

Schlakman isn’t aware of any studies tracking how former felons vote, but did point out that minorities make up a large portion of the prison population, and minorities traditionally vote Democrat.

We asked the state Republican Party and the state Democrats if either will court the votes of 13-thousand former felons. Neither party would comment. Keep in mind the 2000 presidential election was decided by less than 600 votes.