Welcome to

Successful Session or Not? 

Governor Rick Scott is giving lawmakers a less than subtle hint they can expect their pet projects vetoed or worse if they fail to deliver on the twenty-five hundred dollar across the board pay raise he has made his top priority. Lawmakers want raises distributed based on merit. While Scott doesn’t use the veto word, his meaning isn’t being lost.

“We need to continue to improve our education system. Reward our teachers, respect our teachers. They’ve done a great job. So, I’ve got my priorities; they have theirs and I hope we’ll have a successful session” Scott told reporters.

Lawmakers have to wrap up their budget negotiations before next Tuesday to have an on time adjournment  at the end of next week.

A sex abuse survivor completed a 15 hundred mile walk and run across Florida today, ending at the state Capitol to draw awareness to the issue. Lauren Book comes from a privileged family and was abused by a nanny as a child. This was Book’s fourth year walking the state, telling survivors to speak up.”We’re showing people how important it is to tell because it’s all about prevention and awareness and this is why we walk 1500 miles so that people know that it’s ok to tell and they’re surrounded with love and help and guidance and support” says Book.

Governor Rick Scott welcomed Book to the Capitol, telling the crowd “This impacts every family somehow. Everybody gets impacted by this horrific crime. Whether it’s a family. Whether it’s our friends, whether it’s our neighbors but you get impacted.”

Last year, Book worked to get lawmakers to require every person who sees abuse., not just caregivers, to report it. This year she has successfully lobbied for two point five million for abuse centers in the budget.

A battle between the nation’s two largest ticket companies has ended for now. Ticketmaster and Stub Hub were fighting in Tallahassee over bills to help their businesses, but as Whitney Ray tells us, Disney ended up the big winner.

How you buy and use tickets in Florida is in limbo. For several years running, Stub Hub has pushed legislation to ban paperless tickets.

Paperless tickets are a more recent phenomenon… some artists or sports teams require a block of tickets to be sold exclusively online and redeemed at the gate with the credit card used in the purchase.

This doesn’t sit well with Stub Hub. They say paperless tickets keep people from gifting their tickets, auctioning them for charity or most importantly reselling them. They formed the Fan Freedom Coalition.

Fan Freedom came out early in session with a bill to make tickets personal property.

“If I buy a ticket, I have to show up with the credit card I bought the ticket on and my photo ID and they are nontransferable,” said Grimm.

Ticketmaster fired back, saying paperless tickets protect against scalpers. They pushed their own legislation to stiffen penalties for ticket fraud and force ticket brokers to register with the state.

“Brokers scoop in, they actually try to sell the tickets before I even put them on sale,” said Ron Spencer manager of the Leon County Civics Center.

Lawmakers decided the issue was too controversial to tackle this session. They gutted one of the bills and replaced it with language to protect theme park tickets.

Tuesday the Florida House discussed the legislation. It would create a 10-thousand dollar fine for people who sell multi-park or multi-day passes after they’ve been partially used. The penalty for reselling multiday and multi-park passes right now is five hundred dollars.

House and Senate negotiators have said no to the Governor’s across the board pay hike for teachers, opting instead for merit based increases. Both plans cost 480 million dollars. The Governor says the across the board raises are one of only two priorities he has and believes the legislature will come through. “We need to do an across the board twenty five hundred dollar pay raise for each and every one of our classroom teachers. Our k-12 school system is doing an outstanding job” says Scott.

Scott got a boost from Orange County School Superintendent Barbara Jenkins, who says implementing merit pay a year earlier than scheduled for 2014 would be difficult. “We are convinced that it is a time to reward our teachers for their hard work and for our great outcomes. It’s also a great mechanism for us to retain our talent and to recruit new talent as Florida lags behind the nation on average teacher pay” says Barbara Jenkins.

Two weeks remain in the legislative session. What’s uncertain is if the differences in pay plans are philosophical, or if lawmakers want something from the Governor in return.

Governor Rick Scott and college students are winning the battle against tuition hikes. Today Scott signed a bill to give research universities more funding, without charging students more money. The House is still asking students to pay more, but As Whitney Ray tells us, the proposed tuition increase is shrinking.

What a difference a year makes. Last April, Governor Rick Scott was surrounded by university presidents pushing a bill to give some of them unbridled tuition authority.

Despite all the persuasive arguments for the preeminence bill, Scott stood his ground. He vetoed the bill to keep cost low for students

“You want to make sure that families in this state can afford a great education and you want to make sure it’s a great education,” Scott said in an interview with reporters in April 2012.

Monday, surrounded by university presidents once again, Scott signed similar legislation. This time, the tuition increase was left out of the preeminence bill replaced by 15 million dollars for top Florida universities.

“Last year the preeminence bill was focused on a tuition increase and the governor felt that tuition increase was a burden for families in an economy that was recovering,” said FSU President Eric Barron.

The bill signing signals a partial victory for college students. There is still a chance the state legislature votes to raise tuition. The governor still opposes any tuition increases, but the legislature must act first.

“I’ve got my priorities, they have their priorities. I believe we are going to have a great session,” Scott said Monday.

The House was pushing for a six percent increase. The ask was lowered to four.

“As I understand it the House still wants a tuition increase, the senate does not, the governor does not. I’m not taking a bet on that game. The universities are pretty much just staying out of it,” said UF President Bernie Machen.

Before the 2013 legislative session began, university presidents united under a no tuition increase banner. The one condition, the state legislature increase funding.

The budget negotiations between the House and Senate continue. Both chambers have agreed to restore the 300 million dollars cut from universities last year. They’ve yet to make a deal on the additional 100 million the schools are seeking.

Increased health care for up to a million Floridians remains up in the air tonight as legislators in Tallahassee push drastically different plans. The end result could be no additional coverage for anyone.

Under a plan being pushed by the state House, 113,000 low income Floridians would pay a 25 dollar monthly co-pay for private insurance. A plan favored by the Governor and State Senate, would cover ten times more people. It’s funded completely by the federal government for the first three years. But it is that federal funding where House Republicans are drawing the line.

Rep. Charles McBurney R-Jacksonville, told the panel “What the government giveth, the government taketh away.”  Rep. Steve Precourt, R-Orlando, called the Feds record into question “Furthermore the federal government does have a demonstrated check record of being an unreliable funding partner.”

In pushing for the larger coverage, Democrats made a reference to Boston, where first responders rushed to a crisis. Rep. Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg says Florida should be rushing to solve a health care crisis. “We lend a helping hand. That’s what America is all about” said Rouson.

Despite the plea the committee shut down the federal money plan on a party line vote.

Rep. Mia Jones,  D-Jacksonville, says the GOP is still angry they lost the election “It’s really not about providing coverage under those plans, it’s simply about saying no to the Affordable Care Act.”The decision not to take federal money sets up a very real possibility the lawmakers could leave the State Capitol in two weeks and do absolutely nothing to expand health care.

Doing nothing says House Speaker Will Weatherford, would be profitable to taking federal money. “If it’s taking federal money that we can’t count on going home, I think we would prefer to go home” Weatherford said in an exclusive interview.

The plan being pushed by the House Speaker, gives eligible enrollees two thousand dollars to buy coverage of their choice. The House plan does not cover single, childless adults, which is one of the major differences from the Medicaid expansion favored by the Governor.  His plan also saves the state an estimated 430 million dollars on money it now spends on the medically needy program.

Internet Cafe Ban “Too Broad”

The Florida Arcade Association, made up of two hundred amusement centers is filing a law suit, saying the law that closed internet cafes was so vaguely crafted, it had the unintentional consequence of also shutting down legitimate businesses who cater to seniors. Trimmel Gomes says the arcade association want the law declared unconstitutional.

“Senior arcades, this is for seniors, they go it’s a place for good, clean entertainment and we’re not internet cafes and that’s the problem here. We should not have been lumped in to the internet cafe ban” says Gomes.

One consequence of the law is that it bans amusement machines that take anything but coins.

More Environmental Education Needed

Rain dampened Earth Day ceremonies at the state Capitol today, but several hundred kids still showed up to hear from the state hydrologist why rain is a good thing. Environmentalists applauded the Department of Environmental Protection sponsored event, but Janet Bowman of the Nature Conservancy says kids in Florida today are being shortchanged at schools when it comes to environmental education.

“If we don’t expose children to the outdoors. They won’t be important to them. They won’t understand why protecting water and our lands are important. And when they grow up, they won’t really have the background to appreciate what many in Florida have fought for 30 years to protect” says Bowman.

State parks across the state will celebrate Earth Day this weekend with a variety of activities.

Possessing other people’s IDs and credit card information in Florida isn’t necessarily a crime. Police have to prove the person with the info plans to commit fraud. As Whitney Ray tells us, the House voted to change that and now it’s the Senate’s turn to take action.

In less than three minutes, the Florida House passed a bill to protect people from identity theft. Representative Larry Ahern is sponsoring legislation making it a felony to possess IDs, credit cards or the banking information of five or more people.

There are exceptions. Parents, teachers or other workers who have a legitimate reason to possess the information are exempt. This bill targets the bad guys.

Like the parents of a six year old who brought a plastic bag full of debit and credit cards to show and tell. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office questioned the parents but had to let them go.

“We were not able to charge the parents because as the law stands now the mere possession of 52 debt cards is not illegal. We have to show intent,” said Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office Captain Robert Ura.

Stories like this filled the halls of the state capitol. Wednesday police got their wish. The Florida House speed thorough House Bill 6-91. The following day, a Senate Committee heard the bill.

Senate Sponsor Arthenia Joyner expects quick passage in her chamber.

“I’m looking forward to it passing so they can effectively use it and put a stop to the carnage that is happening to people with their credit,” said Joyner.

Florida leads the nation in Tax Fraud. The hope is the new law will help the state shed the title. The bill creates a misdemeanor for people caught with four or fewer pieces of other people’s information.

In the summer of 1989, Floridians were horrified over the death of two year old Bradley McGee at the hands of his stepfather. The child had been dunked head first in the toiled, beaten and tortured for weeks before dying. Thomas Coe was sentenced to life, but under the law at that time he is entitled to a parole hearing. Today was that hearing.

Bradley McGee spent most of his life in foster care…returning home just two moths before being beaten and tortured to death by his step father. Thomas Coe received a life sentence. Cheryl Coe served nine years. Under the law at the time, Coe is entitled to parole. Polk County State Attorney Jerry Hill described the crime to the Parole Commission this way: “I think this is the worst case I’ve ever appeared on. I promise you is far and away one of the saddest.”

At the time, Bradley became the poster child for change. His foster mother Pam Kirkland lead the charge. “I think we’re tired of children paying the price that we adults have the responsibility to protect these children.”

Kirkland has now passed and is buried next to Bradley. Her daughter came to tell the Parole Commission the world has no use for Thomas Coe “And the anger and the mentality he has will never change because there’s no remorse today.” Another family friend, Dorine Parsons, nearly broke down from rage. “This morning Thomas Coe got up and he breathed. This baby did not.”

The Commission denied parole…and set a lengthy seven year period before the case can be heard again. The decision satisfied the Samantha Campbell.  “It’s a shame that Sheryl got to walk because of overcrowding which is very sad, but God will take care of that not us.”

Bradley McGee would be 26 had he survived.

Several bills filed to limit abortions in Florida are up for votes in the state House. Members asked questions on the bills this afternoon. They even waved the rules and, as Whitney Ray tells us, passed one bill to protect the fetus in a botched abortion.

The remaining abortion bills could be voted on later this week.

In the middle of a packed agenda, Florida House members tackled three abortion bills. The first would make the death of a fetus in the commission of a crime against the mother, murder.

“If a person commits any crime that causes the death of, or bodily injury to an unborn child, such person commits a separate offense,” explained Representative Larry Ahern.

After a half hour of discussion the bill was put on the agenda for final passage.

“I believe that abortions are wrong as you know, but I believe discrimination again any human is wrong,” said Representative Charles Van Zant.

Then Democrats and Republicans faced off over a bill to ban abortions based on the race or sex of the offspring. Before the procedure doctors would have to verify the mother’s motive.

“So are we asking our doctors and our health practitioners to now put on a police officers cap and perform a criminal investigation?” ask House Democrat Dave Kerner.

One of the abortion bills had the potential to be the most controversial piece of legislation of this session but changes were made and it passed with unanimous support.

“It defines born alive in clear and unambiguous terms a delivered human infant who draws a breath,” said bill sponsor Representative Cary Pigman.

The bill requires doctors to protect the life of any fetus surviving a botched abortion. The bill passed with overwhelming support.

Three teachers from three counties, Escambia, Alachua, and Hernando, have filed a lawsuit in Federal Court, challenging a 2011 law that tells districts how to evaluate teacher performance.

All three are former teachers of the year. The say they are not receiving equal protection under the 14th amendment because they are being measured by test scores of students they have never taught. Florida Education President Andy Ford calls the system absurd.

“It’s very compelling that when you have teachers who have been honored by their faculty and in their districts as being a Teacher of the Year to have an unsatisfactory evaluation or evaluation that’s less than perfect. Based on student test scores of kids you’ve never taught  in a grade level you never taught.  It is just absolutely absurd and we need a new system” says Ford.

Beth Ann Moore is a high school teacher in Hernando County and says her evaluation is based on students she has never taught. “Seems like I should be evaluated on students I teach and the subjects that I teach. So that way I am truly getting an evaluation of my teaching abilities and also seeing the growth of my students in my subject area” says Moore.

A second plantif in the case is Kim Cook. She teaches grades one through three in Gainesville. Cook filed the lawsuit challenging the states system of evaluating teachers because her scores were based on students at another school that she has never seen. “And they were students I’ve never met at a completely different school. I’ve had no part in instructing them whatsoever. ”

Reporter: “So you have been evaluated on based on performance of students you’ve never taught.” “That’s correct” says the elementary school teacher.

The case was filed in Federal Court in Gainesville.

Consumer advocates are claiming a small victory tonight. Legislation to shrink state-run Citizens Property Insurance and raise rates on new customers is stalling. As Whitney Ray tells us, the bill was on the Senate agenda for final passage but the vote was postponed.

Twenty four hours before a crucial vote on Citizens Property Insurance consumers spoke out.

“I am in Citizens, not because I chose to be in Citizens but because I was forced into Citizens,” said John Thompson.

Because of sinkholes, no private company will insure Thompson’s home. Monday he came to Tallahassee to explain his dilemma to lawmakers.

“Do I have the solutions no, but time and time again I feel that I’m failed because our legislators don’t listen to us. They listen to the insurance lobbyists,” said Thompson.

Thompson’s gripe may have been heard. The bill was set for passage Tuesday morning but the vote was postponed.

“At the request of Senator Simmons, committee substitute for Senate Bill 1770 is temporarily postponed,” said Senate President Don Gaetz.

The delay may mean the votes to pass the bill weren’t there. In the meantime insurance and business lobbyists continue to push for its passage.

The bill would prohibit Citizens from covering properties worth more than a million dollars, then reduce the eligible values by 100-thousand dollars each year for the next five years.”

David Hart with the Florida Chamber of Commerce says if Citizens doesn’t shrink soon everyone will be paying more.

“We are actually all still paying back Citizens for the losses in ‘03 and ’04,” said Hart.

Citizens insures more than 400 billion dollars in risk. When the state run company can’t pay, all Florida property owners see their insurance bills increase.

After the bill was temporarily passed Shawn Shaw with the Policyholders of Florida released this statement: “The delay of this bill to raise rates and stall our housing recovery shows that policyholders and consumer advocates are making a difference. We will continue to pound lawmakers with the facts – this bill would hurt our housing recovery, harm policyholders, and make rate making even more political.”

A big vote today in the Florida House. A bill granting instate tuition rights to the children of illegal immigrants passed with overwhelming support. As Whitney Ray tells us, the legislation comes two years after state lawmakers considered an Arizona-style immigration law.

Debate in Spanish and Creole could be heard in the Florida House Chambers. The multi-lingual portions of Friday’s legislative session were sparked by a bill to lower tuition costs for students born in Florida to undocumented parents.

“They are US Citizens. They we’re born in this country, like I was and many of you were and they deserve this benefit,” said the bill’s sponsor Jeanette Nunez.

The bill passed with overwhelming support, but before the vote, there was controversy.

“It is something that gives me hope for the future but it makes me sad that we cannot move more deliberately,” said Representative Jose Rodriquez.

Representative Jose Rodriquez tried to amend the bill to include non-citizen students who were brought here as kids and are pushing legislation called the Dream Act.

“Many of the dreamers were brought here young and they have no country to go home to. They are as American as anybody else culturally,” said Rodriquez.

The bill’s passage is a big step here in Florida. Just two years ago the state’s Republican led legislature was considering an Arizona-style immigration law.”

“This is a huge step forward. Two years ago we were discussing the Arizona-type of immigration law,” said Artiles.

Democrats vowed to use the bill as a starting point. They want to come back next year and pass the Dream Act.

Florida foster kids face an uphill battle. Some are shuttled from home to home. Others live in group homes hoping to be reunited with their parents. As Whitney Ray tells us, Governor Rick Scott signed legislation today to give foster kids more normal lives.

Stephen Satchell was a sprinter in high school. He was also a foster kid. When his team made the finals Stephen couldn’t go, because laws meant to protect foster kids often keep them from living normal lives.

“My case worker didn’t schedule the court appearance in time and I wasn’t able to get the court order to attend and it was really devastating because we made nationals that year,” said Stephen.

Stephen is part of Florida Youth SHINE, a foster care advocacy group helping change state law. Thursday in Tallahassee they shared stories of how red tape keeps foster kids down.

“In 7th grade I had a best friend and I wasn’t able to go to her house,” said Danielle McMahan.

“In elementary school a lot of the kids were able to go out to do these youth programs for the church and I was never allowed to go because I was in a group home,” said Ti’erra Carter.

And a simple right of passage like getting a drivers license at 16 couldn’t be done without a case worker or in some cases a court order. The laws are meant to protect foster kids from dangerous situations but they were keeping the kids from harmless activities. Not anymore.

“What a momentous day today is,” proclaimed DCF Secretary David Wilkins.

With the stroke of a pen Governor Rick Scott eliminated the barriers. Now decisions about sports, sleepovers and field trips can be made by foster parents, not case workers and courts. And even though it’s too late to help these child advocates, they’re still rejoicing.

“Florida Youth SHINE is awesome and I feel like it’s really unreal,” said Danielle.

“It’s a really big day,” said Ti’erra.

One more victory for the advocacy group and more opportunity for foster kids.

According to a legislative study just 10 percent of eligible Florida foster kids have received a learners permit and just three percent a drivers license. Now the decision about when the teens can apply for their licenses will be solely in the hands of their foster parents.