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Terminally ill patients would be able to take experimental drugs being tested under legislation moving through the legislature. They would have to acknowledge the dangers of taking the drugs. Sponsor Ray Pilon of Sarasota says many now leave the country for the trials, sapping their strength.

“You can imagine if you or one of your loved ones had no other choice, would you rather have them go to Europe or Mexico, or would you have them get them the choice,, understanding that it could also have adverse effects shortening their lives, be able to try these experimental drugs that are under testing” says Pilon.

Pilon bristled at the suggestion patients would become “Guinea pigs for drug companies. Patients would have to sign waivers before taking any experimental drugs.

Law enforcement, prosecutors, and privacy proponents squared off in a House committee at the State Capitol today over legislation restricting the use of digital technology. Rep. Ray Rodrigues of Lee County had to water his bill down to get it out of committee, but under it, law enforcement would have to seek a warrant before using cell phone receptors know as Stingrays to gather random data.

“And I don’t think our cell ph”one data, whether its the calls we’re making at the time, the texts on our phone, our texts that are occurring because we happen to be in the radius, belong in the domain of the government if they don’t have a right to get that data.”

Provisions on license plate readers were taken out of the bill. It faces heavy opposition from prosecutors who worry gangs will learn of investigations under some of the bills disclosure requirements.

Youth sports are supposed to teach kids about competition, respect, winning, and losing, but what happens when some people cross the line? As Matt Galka tells us, new legislation aims to punish out of control coaches.

This video from South Florida shows the aftermath of a 2012 youth football game.  It shows an assistant coach running up to a referee because he didn’t like his call, and then hitting the ref in the face.

Videos like that one are becoming all too common according to lawmakers. State Senator Jeremy Ring is proposing a crackdown on out of control coaches for youth sports.

“They coach their 8 year old girls like it’s a professional team. And they’re not just hurting their own kids, they’re hurting every other child on the field that, at that point, is seeing that,” said Sen. Ring (D-Margate).

Ring’s bill would effect coaches who are in charge of teams with 12 year olds and younger.  If the coach is thrown out of a game for unruly behavior, they’re banned for the rest of the season.

Lawmakers say that the bill is targeting more than just simple dust ups, but they are hesitant about regulating behavior.

Senator Nancy Detert supported the proposal.

“I have seen the Mom’s jump behind home plate on the fence,” said Detert (R-Venice).

But she admitted she was concerned lawmakers have to step in and do this at all.

“I think Senator Ring is just trying to fire a cannon out there to say “stop it.” We notice bad behavior we could legislate if we want to.  I think it’s more of a threat than a law,” she said.

Ring’s bill would allow coaches to appeal the season long ban.

The bill cleared its first committee unanimously, however there was a call to strengthen the required background checks for coaches in charge of the youth teams.

A wide variety of distracted driving laws will be debated in Tallahassee before session finishes, but as Matt Galka tells us, a group of people personally effected by traffic tragedies is telling lawmakers why they need to seriously consider the proposals.

Boca Raton Democrat Irv Slosberg dedicated his time at the Capitol to road safety after a personal tragedy

“This is like the worst phone call you just never want to get that call…that your kids dead. But that’s what happened to me,” said Rep. Slosberg.

The Representative’s 14 year old daughter, Dori, was killed along with 4 others in a high speed car accident.

The Dori Saves Lives foundation now helps to campaign for road safety laws. Dozens of teenagers took to the capitol with the group to tell lawmakers stiffer distracted driving penalties are needed this year.

“It’s very sad to see young people die early for not following the rules, and I just hope that we will follow the rules and we will make a move with driving safety,” said Gainesville High School student Caleb Ross.

Slosberg is pushing bills that would not only stiffen penalties on texting while driving, but other forms of distracted driving as well.

A primary texting while driving ban hits home for mom Trish Viccaro.  Her son Garrett and a friend were both killed while fishing on the side of a road in Melbourne. A driver was texting and hit both men.

“How many more victims is it going to take before you realize how important no texting and driving must become a primary law,” said Viccaro.

In 2012, the legislature passed a bill making texting while driving a secondary offense. There’s a push this session to move it up to a primary offense – which would allow law enforcement to pull someone over if they spot them texting.

Other bills that have been filed include stiffening penalties for texting in a school zone, and a ban on all cellphone use behind the wheel.

Local school districts may soon be able to decide if they want armed employees at elementary, middle and high schoolsin Florida. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, as controversial as the idea has been since Sandy Hook, no school organization spoke against the bill.

Since Sandy Hook, the call has been to arm teachers, principals and even maintenance and  cafeteria workers. Legislation allowing just that is back before lawmakers for the third year. Sponsor Greg Stube of Sarasota told his collegues that  bill now requires far more training than every before.

“All these people would have to go through background checks, all these people would be required, if they are requested, to go through mental health screenings. They would have to go through a rigorous training.”

No one from the public spoke against the bill. In part because it is now voluntary, not mandatory that district arm people in schools. Rep. Joe Geller was the only no vote. He worries about mental health screening.

“I don’t think an American sniper approach is the way to protect our kids” Geller said in committee, Later he elaborated.

“We need a trained, sworn law enforcement officer at every school in the state.

Afterwards teacher Joy Jackson from Miami Dade thanked Geller for voting no.

“Its so imperative that we have more men like you”

We asked her why.

“Because guns and schools and our children do not mix. We do not want someone that may be trained and maybe not trained to the fullest” she responded.

Hillsborough County Schools lobbyist Connie Milito says districts opposed the bill last year.  “Our board hasn’t taken a formal action, but generally we don’t think its a good idea” says Milito.

“Rural districts are expected to be much more receptive than urban districts.

Thats because urban districts generally have more money for school resource officers.

The lack of opposition doesn’t mean everyone is embracing the idea. Some suggest allowing guns at schools will raise the cost of liability insurance.

Greyhound owners brought some of their racing dogs to the State Capitol today. They want lawmakers to require safety measures at tracks including covering exposed wiring that electrocuted a dog last November in Palm Beach. Crystal Carroll, the dog’s trainer,

says the death was needless.

“And so the race had ended and she followed the lure, which continued. She got in the rail and it electrocuted her. It was devastating to everyone who worked in that kennel. Absolutely devastating. She was there one minute and gone the next…for no reason”m said the near tears trainer.

Chrome, show here as a puppy, would have turned two in July. The owners also want break away arms for the lures dogs chase and better maintained track surfaces.

Today was tourism day at the state Capitol and the Coastal Conservation Association used the day to promote a 108 day fishing tournament that will give away three boats to lucky anglers. State Agriculture Commission Adam Putnam says sport fishing is a four billion dollar plus shot for the state economy.

“There’s no better way for people to connect  with their children, to get them unplugged, so we avoid that last child in the woods, last child on the water type syndrome. Its a family friendly activity with strong economic development impact . It reconnects you people and old people to this wonderful creation we call Florida” says Putnam.

The Tournament starts in May and continues through Labor day in September. Fish caught from the Alabama border to the Everglades are fair game. The tournament mirrors a similar event in Texas that drew 40,000 anglers.

Florida has so far been stubborn about not accepting $50 billion dollars of federal money to expand Medicaid in the state, but as Matt Galka tells us, the Florida Senate is rethinking that stance.

It was standing room only in the Florida Senate’s Health policy meeting.  50 billion dollars of federal healthcare money was on the line in the form of a Medicaid expansion proposal that could help almost a million low-income Floridians.

“This is something that we need to do, because people are suffering for the lack of adequate affordable quality healthcare,” said Tampa Democratic Senator Arthenia Joyner.

Florida is at risk of losing more than a billion dollars of federal low income pool funding. That money goes towards hospitals treating the uninsured or underinsured. That has led to the Senate’s proposal of a state-run insurance exchange for low-income Floridians – as long as they work, attend school, or pay premiums.

Sen. Aaron Bean/(R) Health Policy Committee Chair

“We have to look at options to keep our hospitals open, a lot of our healthcare systems that depend on this low income pool money to figure out how we’re going to survive providing healthcare for our most needy and our most vulnerable citizens,” said Sen. Aaron Bean (R – Jacksonville).

But the expansion proposal has always been a tough sell in the Florida House.

Former Republican House Speaker Tom Feeney – who now heads business lobby group Associated Industries of Florida – says he’s hoping for an about face from the other chamber.

“Our view is that the House and the conservative leadership oughta do like Mike Pence, the conservative Governor of Indiana did. A consumer based, choice based plan,” said Feeney.

But not everyone’s on board. James Madison Institute President Bob McClure says if the feds are going to pull other health funding, they can just as soon pull this funding down the road.

“They’re not reliable for a proven source of funding for the state that’s been in place for years, why would we double down on that and take an additional and count on them to fund an additional 50 billion dollars,” he said.

If the state doesn’t accept it, it goes toward other states that do expand Medicaid.

The proposal passed unanimously out of the committee. We did ask the Governor if he supported the measure, but he was non-committal saying that there was still a lot of time left in this year’s session.

Governor Rick Scott and the states three elected Cabinet members today approved new rules for hiring and firing the ten agency heads that report directly to them. But the panel did not reopen the issue of how the states cop was fired without a public vote.

Governor Rick Scott’s office forced long time Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey from office in December. It came to light a month later when  Bailey refuted this statement by Scott:  “He resigned.”

The Governor later admitted his mishandled the situation.

CFO Jeff Atwater told fellow Cabinet members: “We are the Cabinet, this is our responsibility.”

For nearly two hours, the four officials who share authority discussed how the potentially illegal firing could be prevented in the future. “Anybody who would think about applying for a job with the state, who is in one of these jobs for the state knows don’t..if anybody ever says to you this is what I think about how you’re doing, there’s a process for that. It happens in a public meeting.”

The Governor and Cabinet never specifically discussed the allegations in a law suit that their aides conducted business out of the public.

Aides and cabinet members will be required to receive two hours of  training on open government laws. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam made the motion for the open government training.  “More sunshine training is required. In fact I believe that’s the remedy that’s being asked for.”

Rick Scott did not directly address the issue. “I think we have a good process. What’s important to me is that we have a predictable,. transparent process to review what our expectations for our agencies are” said Scott after the meeting ended.

Left for another day is criteria for evaluating how each of the agency appointee performs. It is hoped the criteria will keep decisions from being made on purely political reasons.

Scott and the Cabinet are being used buy by 14 media organizations who allege Cabinet aides conducted illegal behind the scenes conversations prior to the firing of the FDLE Commissioner.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has confirmed they are investigating computer hacking that potentially disrupted statewide tests last week. The debut of the Florida Assessment Test was marred by a sluggish and sometimes non existent sign in process. FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearinger says Education officials contacted him late last week.

“Our cyber folks have that and we are continuing to pursue that. It’s an active investigation so I really can’t say a lot about that other than we are trying to identify the perpetrators of that attack.”

Question: How widespread was it, did it cause the whole collapse (of the testing process).

“No, it was one I vendor. I don’t know the extent of the collapse.”

Lawmakers critical of the test say even if the delays were caused by a hacker, DOE is underprepared to give the test because it failed to provide adequate security for the test.

February was the coldest month on record for several states, but here in Florida former employees of the Department of Environment Protection say the term climate change is banned in reports and presentations. A former state employee says a shift in terminology began with Rick Scott’s election.

Rick Scott made national news with this statement when asked about climate change.

“I am not a scientist” said the Governor on May 14, 2014.

Now former employees of the Department of Environmental Protection claim in published reports they were not allowed to use the term climate change.

Others says there was no memo…just an understanding.

Craig Diamond worked for the Department of Community Affairs. He says his agency, which used to manage growth before being abolished in 2011 was making a subtle shift to the term sea level rise.

“To the extent that not using the term climate change pulled the rug out from under a program, I don’t see that as looming large. But, it takes away from the credibility a little bit. People say why are you doing this? Well, we can’t really tell you, but we are responding to something that’s out there” says the now consultant.

Vivian, not her real name is an attorney. In the middle of a job interview late last year with the Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, Vivian says was asked her opinion on climate change. “And I was quite surprised. I, ah, its almost like asking your religion in a way almost, but I didn’t want to lie.”

She didn’t get the job.

David Guest, is a critic of DEP and Rick Scott.

“And what this administration has done makes Florida the laughing stock of the entire country.”

A search of the DEP web site for the term climate change did turn up more than 1600 posts. Many were from before Rick Scott took office.

Both the Governor’s Office and DEP returned our calls this afternoon and say the allegations the phrase “Climate Change” has been banned are “simply not true.”

Six bills in the Florida legislature would loosen up some gun restrictions in school and emergency scenarios. As Matt Galka tells us, a group of concerned parents, students, and faculty took to the Capitol today to try and convince lawmakers otherwise.

The message from the coalition of about three dozen parents, faculty, and students was clear.

“Bullets and backpacks do not mix,” said Chryl Anderson, the leader for the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action.

The group doesn’t want guns anywhere near college campuses or public grade schools.

Richard Martinez returned to the capitol for the second time. His 20 year old son, Christopher, was gunned down in a killing spree near UC Santa Barbara’s campus last May.

“This solution to putting more guns out there is a solution from the 1800’s. Not the 21^st century in the United States of America,” he said.

University of Florida sophomore Natalia Perez Santos says she doesn’t buy into claims that allowing concealed guns on college campuses could potentially stop sexual assaults.

“It’d just be really dangerous having people walking around with guns in all of these situations, because you can’t guarantee who’s going to be the one holding it,” she said.

University police chiefs say they fear potential consequences if the campus carry bill were to pass.

“Anytime you put guns in a scenario on our campuses, it creates a problem for the police department. We don’t know who has a gun,” said FAMU police chief Terence Calloway.

The National Rifle Association says the bad guys are carrying guns no matter what.  This would just help secure some of the good guys.

“9 other states allow guns on campus and they don’t have any problems, in fact in some of those areas the crime rate on campus dropped,” said lobbyist Marion Hammer.

The anti-gun group recently launched an ad that will air until the end of this week urging the legislature to oppose the guns on school campus bills.

After the Florida House moved a water bill through on Thursday – against some environmentalists wishes – lawmakers are now focusing on land. As Matt Galka tells us, legislators got an update of what’s available throughout the state.

Environmental groups have been preaching that Amendment 1 which passed last November was intended to allow the state to purchase and conserve lands. Lawmakers got an update from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection on what’s out there.

“We need to make sure that we have the information gathered together. Why go buy a bunch of ranch land that is in an area that’s a low priority for development when we can instead spend that money buying a priority spring?” said State Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Matt Caldwell.

The tug-of-war over what exactly the $750 million dollars of Amendment one money should be spent on will continue throughout session. And besides just land conservation, some are calling for money to be spent taking care of invasive species problems.

“We don’t manage the national park, we don’t manage the Big Cypress Preserve, we manage our lands which abut. There’s no doubt that we’ve got real problems, what’s the point of saving the Everglades if its taken over by pythons and other animals. There’s nothing left for anybody to enjoy at that point,” said Rep. Caldwell.

The DEP didn’t get into specifics about what should and shouldn’t be purchased with the money, but they said bottom line: it needs to be maintained

“We do want to make sure our state lands are managed properly. I believe there’s still some key parcells that we should acquire as well, and we need to manage our lands and make sure the public has access to those,” said Division of State Lands Director Kelley Boree.

Committee Chairman Matt Caldwell said he’d like to see a land bill in the same vein as the comprehensive water bill the House passed earlier this week.

Problems continued for some school districts today as students tried to sign on to take a mandated writing test. Democrats say test security has been compromised and the test is no longer a valid assessment tool.

As Education Commissioner Pam Stewart was telling the House Education Committee that test contractor AIR is successfully solving problems.

“And we will continue to be vigilant and monitor exactly what’s happening. In fact, when I leave here, I will have another call with AIR just to be sure we continue to be on track” says Stewart.

Students in South Florida were seeing white screens.

Stewart slipped out a side door to avoid cameras.

In Tampa, Governor Rick Scott told reporters that extra time built into the testing schedule would allow everyone to take the test.

“Many school districts are saying the system has worked for them. The way its set up is they have two additional weeks to get all this accomplished” says Scott.

Joy Frank from the FL School Superintendents Assn. told the committee problems remain. “We don’t know to the extent how un-smooth it is” she said.

Senate Democrats have been calling for the test to not count this year. Now Dwight Bullard says since some students have seen the test, it is no longer valid.

“How many versions of the test are out there. Is everyone going to be on a different one? Because I can promise you this, in the age of cell phones, somebody’s going to screen shot a picture of a prompt, and thus fore cause complete invalidation of the system.”

Contractor AIR  is likely to be hit with a penalty. Commission Pam Stewart told lawmakers that’s not likely to be assessed until the system is working.

And right now, answers on when the system will be performing as expected are elusive

The state says more than 333 thousand students have successfully taken the test over four days, which is 50 point 6 percent of those registered to take the exam. Six days remain in the normal testing cycle.

House Education Chair Marleen O’Toole commended Stewart for her handling of the test debacle and urged members not to “throw the baby out with the bath water” or overact to calls from parents.

At 4:21 PM, DOE providing the following information:

In the first four days of the ten-day, two-week testing window, a total of 333,588 students completed the computer-based writing component. The breakdown is as follows:

Monday: 67,785

Tuesday: 85,421

Wednesday: 76,192

Thursday (as of 3 p.m.): 104,190

Since there are 658,827 students registered to take the computer-based writing component, this number represents more than half – 50.6 percent – of the students expected to take the test.

Some of you have requested a by-county breakdown of students having completed the assessment, so I have also attached a spreadsheet reflecting that information through yesterday.

Florida is one of thirty states that does not require high school students to take a one hour class on CPR, but a Louisiana father who lost his 14 year old son is on a campaign to change that. Jim Cobb lost his 14 year old son to an undiagnosed heart problem but says he would have been saved if the kids he was with knew CPR.

“He was playing with about 25 of his friends and Burke collapsed. No one started CPR and consequently he passed away” says Cobb.

Aunt Kristen Cobb Simpson says the problem is more prevalent than many think. “We know that up to 10,000 kids die every year from sudden cardiac arrest, We know it is the number one cause of death on school property, so it can happen to any one at any time, so in our opinion it should be everyones cause.”

This is the fourth year CPR legislation being pushed by the American Heart Association has been introduced. Lawmakers have balked a t cost, which is about half a million dollars every three years, and on mandating something for schools to do.