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After spending more than $2.7 million on a petition drive to create more affordable housing, Florida Realtors are dropping the effort.

The move faced significant opposition from top legislative leaders.

Florida realtors launched the amendment drive in June, seeking to restore affordable housing’s share of documentary stamp revenues.

“Every single year a portion of the housing trust funds are swept into the states general revenues,” said Christina Pappas with the Florida Realtors Association.

State and national realtors put $13 million into the kitty, but they angered legislative leadership.

In July, incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo didn’t mince words.

”I said to them, I’ll be honest with you, you’ve declared war on the Florida Legislature,” said Passidomo.

Next came high level conversations with the legislative leadership who oppose most amendments that tie legislative hands.

“We had no agreements to do anything,” said Passidomo. “You should never budget in the constitution. That’s what they do in California, and it creates issues.”

Realtors got the message.

Late Tuesday they folded on the petition drive, and said they will instead push for a legislative solution to the affordable housing crisis.

Now, the plan is to prioritize affordable housing for first responders and other front line workers.

“We did an analysis and there are very few of the first responders…the front line workers , nurses, teachers, etc. that are participants in the Ship and Sail programs, so we need to ask why,” said Passidomo.

Passidomo did tell us that the realtors didn’t waste the $2.7 million they’ve already spent because it is what brought everybody to the negotiating table.

Earlier this year, legislation changed how revenues from real estate transactions are divided up.

Now, more than $200 million will go to affordable housing every year.

Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorists attacks.

It was a day that saw the State Capitol shut down and tourism crash.

Florida played a central role in the ensuing investigation.

Then-Governor Jeb Bush and the six Cabinet members were meeting off site across town for a regular monthly meeting on September 11th, 2021.

After the planes hit, notes were exchanged and the Governor was given a cell phone.

“Let me find an office where I can talk we can make a quick decision on this. What’s your feeling about it,” said Governor Bush at the time.

The decision was made to close the 22-story Capitol and the 17-story education center.

“And the fact that it is a high profile building, it is probably appropriate to evacuate the building,” said Governor Bush.

Even after commercial planes were flying again, few people did, prompting Jeb Bush and his wife to take a trip to show it was safe.

“Without commercial aviation, this state won’t survive,” said Bush.

Florida US Senator Bob Graham and Southwest Florida Congressman Porter Goss led the investigation into the intelligence failure.

Twenty-eight pages of their final report remain classified today.

The 28 pages implicate the Saudi government.

“That chapter relates to who financed 9/11. I think that’s a critical issue,” said Graham in April of 2016.

Graham, who authored the pages, has been seeking their publication ever since.

“The American people need to know, so that they can make an assessment of who are our real friends and allies, and who are people who are really willing to stab us in the back,” said Graham.

After 19 years of secrecy, those 28 pages could soon be made public, likely within the next six to eight months.

Six days after the attack, trading on Wall Street resumed.

The market dropped more than seven percent and the state pension fund dropped by $5 billion.

Today it remains one of the strongest pension funds in the country, totaling nearly $200 billion.

For many, Labor Day is summer’s last hurrah, filled with time at the beach and barbecues, but many in the state’s physically disabled community are going to be left out because the state has been slow to reopen the one park that is dedicated to those with physical disabilities.

Rish Park is located on Cape San Blas on the Panhandle coast.

The beachfront park is the state’s only fully handicap accessible facility for outdoor recreation.

The park has been closed since 2018’s Hurricane Michael.

Disability advocates assert the state has been dragging its feet.

“This Labor Day weekend, this beautiful sunshine right now. I’d like to be at the beach. Fellow Floridians with disabilities would like to be at the beach. But Rish Park is closed,” said advocate Dr. J.R. Harding.

Drone video taken in August 2019, 10 months after Michael hit, shows damage to the beach walkway, but little else.

“It’s essentially like the Department of Transportation not knowing how to build a road,” said environmental engineer Dr. Max Lee.

Dr. Lee said the park should have been open long before now.

“The park itself was able to be open about two and a half years ago. I’d say eighty, seventy-five percent of it,” said Lee.

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities points out that it couldn’t risk someone getting hurt by opening the park before it’s fully ready.

But the advocates argue the disabled often have shorter life spans and three years is a long time.

“So, think of your family and what would you do if three years of it was removed,” said Dr. Harding.

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities did point out there are other facilities, such as a new ADA compliant glass bottom boat at Silver Springs, but Harding and Lee argued no facility matches the amenities at Rish Park.

Rish Park is the only park operated by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

The advocates argue the park would be better managed by the state park system than APD.

Florida discontinued daily COVID reporting on June 4th because cases were falling and vaccinations were rising, but as cases now climb the state is refusing to restart daily COVID data reports.

The result is a new lawsuit seeking to force the state to again make public what was once public.

When Florida stopped publishing its daily COVID reports in June, the COVID picture was improving.

The state was in effect, declaring the emergency over.

“As vaccines have increased, the cases have decreased,” said Deputy Secretary for Health Dr. Shamarial Roberson in a June interview.

On June 3rd, some of the last daily published data showed 2.3 million total COVID cases.

New data shows 3.2 million cases.

”I don’t want to have to sue the state,” said State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith.

Now Smith and the Florida Center for Government Accountability are suing after requesting the data and being told it is not longer a public record.

“I’m asking for the exact same public health data that used to be available on the COVID daily dashboard reporting,” said Smith.

In a statement emailed to us, DeSantis Press Secretary Christina Pushaw told us the suit really has no merit because the data is given to the CDC Monday through Friday.

“Public health surveillance and controlling the spread of infectious diseases have always been core functions of the Florida Department of Health. FDOH reports data routinely and automatically to the CDC, which in turn updates its national COVID dashboard on a daily basis Monday through Friday,” said Pushaw.

But Smith countered local schools need data more than ever.

“Local school board leaders and school superintendents who need access to local COVID transmission trends, data, hospitalizations as it relates to children in their area,” said Smith.

Florida Ag Commissioner and possible DeSantis opponent in 2022 Nikki Fried has also been asking for the data for weeks.

“So I am encouraged by the fact that people are finally stepping up to this administration that is not complying with laws every single day,” said Fried.

Under Florida law, an agency denying a lawful public records request is subject to paying everyone’s attorneys fees.

Those suing are asking for an expedited hearing, which is provided for in the public records statute.

They said they are likely to get their day in court in a week or two.

Thousands Floridians have already received antibody treatments for COVID at one of the state’s 21 infusion sites.

We met Austin Harper waiting for his father outside of a Tallahassee antibody infusion center.

“He’s getting a shot right now. Hopefully he gets to feeling better though,” said Harper.

The symptoms came quickly.

“He felt felt really wonderful yesterday, and today’s he’s low on energy and don’t really want to do anything,” said Harper.

Gene Woods came for the treatment after his wife was treated Sunday.

“Oh, she’s great!” Said Woods. “I say great, compared to how she felt before.”

Walk in traffic was slow at the center Monday.

Just a handful of cars were in the parking lot.

One woman told us the four shots were painless, what bothered her was waiting an hour after they were done.

In Jacksonville, the Governor said the treatments are working.

“Visits to the emergency department for covid like illnesses are down,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

Agency for Health Care Secretary Simone Marstiller has a first hand experience with the treatments… her daughter.

“When we left the infusion center that Saturday afternoon, her fever was 105. By ten o’clock the next morning, Sunday morning, it had dropped to 99.6,” said Marstiller.

In the Capitol, Democrat Nikki Fried again called on people to mask up and get vaccinated.

“I am begging again, Floridians, go get vaccinated,” said Fried.

When it came to antibodies, she said talk to your doctor.

“Preventative medicine is still the best,” said Fried.

The treatments are free to patients.

You can walk up, or schedule an appointment online.

Fried also said calls to poison control lines are increasing after some people have taken a veterinary deworming drug for COVID.

She cautioned not to self medicate.

On Monday Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried said Florida farmers are losing almost $4 billion a year to Mexican farmers through unfair trade practices.

A report from Fried’s office found a declining sales in 20 commodities, while Fried said Mexican farmers are seeing a 10 percent increase in sales each year.

She is calling on the US Government to level the playing field, but also said Florida consumers have say as well.

“Part of this is on us as well. We control the purse strings here in the State of Flordia. When you go to the food store, look for the Fresh from Florida, Florida grown labels on all your produce. Go to your local farmers markets. Demand that these products be served in our restaurants and in the food stores. But we are asking the Federal government, we need help. This is an unfair trade practice is hurting our economics here in the State of Florida,” said Fried.

Fried says the trade imbalance is costing the state between 17,000 and 35,000 jobs.

A survey of more than 300 Florida nursing homes found more than half are limiting new admissions because they don’t have the required level of staffing.

The staffing could get even worse, if the Federal government follows through with plans to require nursing home staff to be vaccinated.

The vaccination rate for Florida nursing home staff is among the lowest in the nation at 47 percent and hiring is already difficult.

“It’s challenging. There are more open positions than there are people to fill them,” said Kristen Knapp with the Florida Health Care Association.

Now the fear is that those who aren’t vaccinated will leave if a mandate is imposed.

“That’s the biggest concern, especially recently the administration, the Biden Administration announced that nursing home staff would be required to be vaccinated,” said Knapp.

At the heart of the problem is a mistrust of the Federal government by many staff.

That mistrust dates back to the 1940’s experiments on poor Black residents of Tuskegee, Alabama.

To counter the resistance, the Heath Care Association is pushing vaccines.

The Agency for Heath Care Administration, which oversees long term care in Florida, is questioning why nursing homes were singled out and not other heath care providers.

“It’s going to interfere with those individuals to get the care they need. I don’t think it was a well thought out move, candidly,” said AHCA Secretary, Simone Marstiller.

A $1.8 million Federal grant will help the homes work with colleges to develop a career path for students.

“You know, it really takes a compassionate person to work in long term care,” said Knapp.

The vaccine rule won’t publish in mid or late September, but if fears of staff fleeing materialize, finding a place to care for a loved one by the end of the year could be difficult.

The state is also working with the nursing homes to provide antibody treatments for those infected.

The list of counties bucking the State and Governor over mask mandates is growing.

It comes as two, Alaucha and Broward will see funding withheld, and the other eight can expect to be told they are violating the law soon.

Ten counties are now bucking the state on parental opt-outs from mask mandates, two more since Tuesday.

Alaucha and Broward, the first two to be told they were not following the law, responded by telling the state, ‘We have the right’.

“We’re not joking,” said Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran.

Corcoran in an exclusive interview argued the districts must be held accountable.

“What is right for the children What is right is to empower those parents. There is no greater form of local government. No greater form of empowerment. No wiser decision can be made for those children than by the parents,” said Corcoran.

Despite recent polling that shows the public overwhelmingly opposes penalties for school districts requiring masks, the state isn’t backing down.

“You have to follow the rule of law. You have to do what is right. And if you’re are not going to do what’s right, we will withhold you salaries,” said Corcoran.

The state said it will send letters to the remaining counties bucking the state on mask mandates by the end of the week or early next week.

And while Florida cases continue to rise, the Education Commissioner expects the spike to be temporary.

“We’ll get to the middle of September, everyone will calm down because our cases are declining just like they did last year,” said Corcoran.

New polling out Wednesday found 51% of the public now oppose the Governor’s handling of the pandemic, but Corcoran said the poll won’t change the state’s direction.

“Dr. Makary, Dr. Meissner, Tuffs, John Hopkins: Masks are ineffective,” said Corcoran.

While a suit has yet to be filed by the school districts, it is sure to end up in court.

If it does, it will take weeks or even months to be settled.

Suwannee County in North Florida voted Tuesday to ask the Attorney Generall for an official opinion on whether the state has the power to impose mandates on local districts.

When issued, the opinion carries the weight of law until a court decides other wise.

Ten of the estimated 150,000 unemployed who lost the additional $300 a week federal payments when the state opted out of the program June 26th were back in court Wednesday.

Attorneys argued state law does not give the Governor the right to quit the program early once it has accepted the money.

“They have been evicted from their homes. They can’t pay for their diabetic medication. They have horrific stories about what happened to them when they relied on that money, and yet primarily its affected women. Women who care for their children who have had to wait until their kids go back to school,” said Attorney Marie Mattox, who is representing the plaintiffs.

The state contends the law doesn’t require the payments to continue, which could have lasted through September 6th.

The lawyers also contend there’s nothing the judge can do about it.

“Florida’s constitution does not allow the judiciary to make appropriations. To order the government to appropriate money, and that’s essentially what the plaintiffs are asking this court to do,” said attorney Daniel Nordby who is representing the state.

Recent unemployment figures show an increased number of people entering the workforce, which the state contends happened because the extra payments were stopped and forced people to look for work.

Duval County has become the eighth school district to enact a mask mandate for schools, as other county school boards consider bucking the state and executive order.

Parents seeking to throw out the state’s ban on mask mandates rested their case Tuesday.

The lawyers representing parents in the school mask suit rested their case just before noon, after calling three doctors and a parent.

Lesley Abravevanel was asked why she brought the suit.

“Because we’re throwing out children pretty much into a petri dish right now,” said Abravevanel.

Abravevanel is the mother of 10-year-old twins.

She testified she was scared to send her kids back to class.

“I’m very nervous. I’m sorry. I’m very very nervous,” said Abravevanel.

She told the court masks were not a matter of choice and should be mandated.

“God forbid, a school shooter, and now we have to worry about them catching a deadly pandemic,” said Abravevanel.

Three doctors called by the plaintiffs said kids 12 and under were are greater risk.

“I currently have a child in kindergarten and one in second grade, and they both wear masks to school,” said pediatrician Dr. Grace Huute.

Cases are increasing.

“My current understanding is that Florida is second only to Mississippi in the number of hospitalized children,” said pediatrician Dr. Mona Mangat.

Dr. Tony Kriseman with John Hopkins Children’s Hospital testified masks are one of the effective tools.

“There was difference with ventilation and there was a difference with masking. And the ultimate conclusion is that they are both very effective measures that should be introduced in a layered fashion,” said Dr. Kriseman.

After lunch, the State asked for the case be dismissed, but the judge said no.

The state spent the afternoon relying on the same doctor the Governor has recruited when making past decisions, even showing a 50 minute clip of a roundtable.

“And there’s literally no randomized evidence whatsoever for these masks in schools,” said Stanford University COVID Researcher Dr. Jay Bhattacharya in the July video.

The case wraps up Wednesday with closing arguments, but no decision is expected until at least Thursday.

Both sides are expected to appeal if the decision goes against them.

Parents from across the state with children who have heath considerations are in court today, the first of three days, over whether the Governor has more authority than local school boards when it comes to deciding who wears a mask. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the number of districts defying the state order is growing.

The number is now seven districts who are not giving parents an opt out from mask mandates.  The number grew over the weekend as Leon County made masks mandatory for kids in K through 8th grade, after previously allowing an opt out.

“We should have mandatory masking in schools” said retired Judge Charles Dodson, who is not representing parents in the suit to require masks in schools.

In an unusual twist, the former judge who ruled against the state  and was later overturned, when it required students to go back to the classroom, is now representing parents like Hillsborough mom Amy Nell. She believes in parents rights, but wants every child in a  mask.

“But if your choice puts others in harms way, or doesn’t support the public health in general, then, it becomes more of a community issue” Nell testified.

Michael Abel, the Governor’s and DOE attorney countered that the Governor’s order is not forcing anyone to go maskless.

“The freedom of parents to choose whether their own kids  have their faces covered at school.”

The appellate court decision in last years school re-opening case found that that decision was up to politically accountable…not health officials.

The case surfaced in opening remarks from the Governors lawyer.

“So at the conclusion of the trial, we’re going to ask this court to enter a judgement for the defendants and dismiss the case” Michael Abel told the court.

But the year old decision also opened the door for local school boards to prevail.

USF researcher Thomas Unnasch told teh court the difference this time was the behavior of the virus.

“The Delta virus is potentially a much more explosive virus in terms of its spread.”

And whatever the outcome of this trial, it is sure to be appealed to the First District Court of Appeal, the same court that sided with the Governor last year when it came to opening schools.”

So far, only Alaucha and Broward counties have been told by the state they are in violation of law. The notice is the first step in levying penalties.

Beginning with a primary in the St. Petersburg mayoral race next week, Florida will hold 82 municipal elections before the end of the year, and voting rights activists are worried recent changes to Florida’s election laws will make it more difficult for some to vote.

The activists are pining their hopes on national legislation.

Before the end of the year, 29 counties will hold 82 local elections.

One of the biggest and most important will be the mayoral race in St. Petersburg, which has a primary next week.

“We didn’t new barriers to accessing drop boxes,” said State Representative Fentrice Driskell.

Activists say this year’s changes could make voting harder.

“St. Pete has a very large African American population, ,I just want to make sure they have been well educated in what these changes are going to mean for them,” said Driskell.

All Voting is Local is pushing Federal legislation to override Senate Bill 90.

“I mean, that’s why we need these national protections in place. Allowing people to register the day of the election,” said Brad Ashwell with All Voting is Local.

But the sponsor of the voting legislation, State Senator Dennis Baxley, argued opening registration to Election Day would create problems, not fix them.

“When you’ve got people registering in the middle of voting, that’s how you get mishaps,” said Baxley.

During the Zoom, a former Congresswoman said that GOP lawmakers nationwide had introduced over 400 election bills.

She suggested a conspiracy.

Sponsor Baxley answered the question this way.

“Well, that’s one I haven’t heard, so I hardly know how to respond. I had no trouble putting one bill together,” said Baxley.

The biggest test of SB 90 will come in November when Broward County will hold a special congressional election.

The outcome will either fuel the efforts to change the law, or perhaps prove the Florida Legislature right.

A Federal lawsuit seeking to have this years election law changes declared unconstitutional is pending.

The first seven months of this year have seen a record 900 plus manatees die.

The total is expected to hit as many as 1200 by the end of the year.

The Save the Manatee Club and two other nonprofits have given the US Fish and Wildlife Service warning they plan to sue if more isn’t done to protect the sea mammal.

State data shows 905 Manatees have already died this year, breaking the record of 830 in 2017, and it’s only going to get worse according to Pat Rose of the Save the Manatee Club.

“We’re looking at the potential of hundreds of more dying from starvation,” said Rose.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission was told the problem is a lack of sea grasses, particularly along the east coast.

“If its a red tide,, it comes and goes. If it’s a cold kill, it comes and goes. This one we’re uncertain how long the impact is going to be, but we know this forage not going to come back overnight or even in a few years,” said FWC Research Institute Director Gil McRae.

Three nonprofits, including Save the manatee Club have filed notice they intend to sue the US Fish and Wildlife Service, to try and force more funding to deal with the deaths.

The lack of food is so severe, state and federal agencies along with nonprofits are exploring putting stressed manatees in rehab centers or even proving food this winter.

“Manatees can eat up to a hundred pounds of food or more a day in terms of aquatic plants. If you times that by a thousand or two thousand manatees, that’s a monumental task,” said Rose.

Rose believes the the FWS will concede that there is a problem without having to file the suit.

“We think that this will work out in a way to the benefit of the manatees,” said Rose.

Before seagrasses began disappearing, the manatee, statistically, had just a half percent chance of becoming extinct in the next one hundred years, but with the water quality issues, there is now a six percent chance.

Two Florida congressmen have filed a bill to move the manatee from threatened status to endangered, which would free up more money and staff to save the population.

Fans and worshipers arrived early this morning to say a final goodbye to Bobby Bowden, the famed FSU coach who died last Sunday at the age of 91. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, todays emphasis was on faith.

While the messages mirrored Bowdens philosophy of making faith family and football a priority, Mike Vasilinda tells us, todays emphasis was on faith.

At least 200 people waiting outside when the doors opened an hour and a half.

“He knew where he was going. He was sure of his salvation. He was going to live eternally. That’s the way I feel” said Vernon.

Chris McKinnon and his mom Pat came because Chris spent 8 years attending Bobby Bowden’s youth foot ball camps.

“I couldn’t wait to go to it every summer. I was so excited.”

Inside they were treated so years of highlight films, including this pep talk before a big game.

“If they don’t score, we win, and we do want to win, right?” Bowden is seen telling players.

Players, including Warrick Dunn, who played from 1993 to 96,  told stories of how they grew to be men under Bowden.

“He stood up for me in the most difficult time in my life. I am forever grateful for that, and I wouldn’t be here today without coach” Dunn told the audience, concluding with a classic Bowden line…dadgumit.

Mickey Andrews, who spend 20 years  coaching for Bowden, says he learned to be tough.

“He stood for doing your best. And he was going to hold you accountable to it.”

The program includes a letter to his children in 2004, telling them he was going to heaven…and he would consider his life a failure if they weren’t eventually there too.”

The letter was written a week after Bowdens daughter Ginger lost her son and husband in a car crash. She chose to read from a 1949 love letter sent wife Ann.

“Dearest Ann, I will see you later. Forever yours. Bobby Bowden” read the daughter to her mother.

The finale was one of the few that placed emphasis on football. The FSU band playing the fight song and the crowd doing the FSU Chop.

Consultant/Sport Writer Don Yaeger told us the program was just what Bobby would have wanted.

“I think he would be proudest that football really only did come in sparingly this entire discussion.”

Indeed.

Bowden will lie in state at his alma mater, Samford tomorrow evening. He will be laid to rest during a private ceremony in Trussville Alabama.

The reality of the passing of Bobby Bowden started sinking in for fans, former players and friends of the legendary coach as they paid tribute to the coach as he lie in state in the Historic State Capitol Rotunda Friday.

Bowden was described as a man of faith, tough, and having a heart of garnet and gold.

Burly state troopers struggled with a casket weighing 700 pounds empty.

The family and FSU president John thrasher paid their respects first.

Afterwards Thrasher was visibly moved.

“I’m emotional, emotional. But God bless him and his family. He was a wonderful man,” said Thrasher.

A steady flow or mourners paid their respects over the three hour memorial.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony told us Bowden was responsible for his successes.

“All those things that were part of practice, part of football, turn into the foundation for how I even lead my organization to this day,” said Tony.

The consensus of many who came her today: FSU would never have become the powerhouse it has become without Bobby Bowden.

“He said Sue, I’m looking for a momma for my team,” said Sue Hall, Bowden’s former assistant.

It was a role she held for 23 years.

“I think he cared so much for his team and they knew it. He had a lot of faith, and god helped him, I believe,” said Hall.

“He knocked the cane on the floor.”

At least a dozen former players shared stories with each other.

“He would go to those lockers when he knew kids were hurting and he would sit at those lockers everyday after practice and talk to them,” said Jordan.

Bowden passed at the age of 91.

We’re told Bowden approached getting older, by saying he wasn’t going to let the old man in.