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The future of Florida State football player Dalvin Cook is in jeopardy as the running back faces misdemeanor battery charges after allegedly punching a woman outside a nightclub.  As Matt Galka tells us, his trial began Monday morning – and his accuser made her case.

Florida State Running Back Dalvin Cook faced a judge and jury Monday.  The running back is accused of punching a woman outside of a Tallahassee nightclub in June. His attorney’s told the jury he was playing the role of peacemaker.

“There was no point that Dalvin Cook punched, he never struck her, and he never inappropriate touched Ms. Madison Geohegan, the only thing he wanted was for everyone to calm down,” said Cook’s attorney Ricky Patel.

Accuser Madison Geohegan took the stand first.  She painted a different picture of a person who started off calm, and then snapped after her friends and Cook’s group, including other football players, got into an argument.

“He just kept seeming like he wanted to hit me some more,” said Geohegan.

Geohegan admitted she had drank enough to feel buzzed, and said she had to push another football player away during the argument.

The 9-1-1 call from the night was played, and pictures of the accuser’s injuries were shown, causing Geohegan to become visibly upset.

Cook has been suspended since July because of the allegations.

Cook’s attorney’s questioned how a busted lip could have been the only injury the accuser suffered.

“Basically what you want us to believe is that 215 pound football player hit you multiple times, and the only place it shows, is that spot where your lip is,” asked attorney Joey McCall.

Three other football players involved in the alleged fight also appeared in the courtroom.

Florida State kicks off its football season September 5^th. Cook had requested the trial be moved up from September 2^nd.

Imagine you are ill, but your insurance company won’t pay for the medicine your doctor says you need. It happens more often than you would think, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, one lawmakers want to put patients first.

Pamela Langford was infected with the hepatitis C virus. Her doctor prescribed a new drug cocktail that included a pill and an injection. Her insurance company said no…it would only pay for the injection.

Pamela Langford was infected with the hepatitis C virus. Her doctor prescribed a new drug cocktail that included a pill and an injection. But her insurance company said no…it was only willing to pay for the injection.

”This is a case of the insurance company overriding the doctor?” we asked.

“Yes” says Langford.

Legislation known as the Right Medicine, Right time Act was filed last year and made it through two Senate Committees. It’s going to be refiled this year. Sen. Don Gaetz says an insurer that wants to override a doctor’s orders would have to prove it was the right medical decision.

“We have insurance companies that are trying to practice medicine that are trumping what physicians are prescribing or determining for their own patients, but don’t have to respond to any clinical burden of proof” says Gaetz.

Patients who don;t get what the doctor orders often end up in emergency rooms, so companies don’t save anything by paying less for medications.

Even supporters of this Right Medicine, Right Time legislation acknowledge that in four out of five cases, the insurance company is right.

Pamela Langford was one of those cases where the insurers medicine didn’t work.

It put her in pain for months as she appealed.

“So you wasted six months of your life in some ways?” we asked.

”It was a little more than that” answered Langford.

Supporters says that in states where “Right Medicine, right time” legislation has been approved, there was no increase in insurance rates.

At least five states have approved similar legislation. It failed in three others last year, including here in Florida. The legislation is a top priority of doctors but opposed by insurance companies.

State lawmakers gave themselves 12 days to come up with a map of new congressional districts. Time ran out a noon with no map, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, one side refusing to keep working until next week.

The meltdown began Friday morning when Senate negotiators walked out of a meeting with their House counterparts. Rep. Jose Oliva (R-Miami), House Redistricting Chairman wasn’t happy. “If you invite me over to your office to talk about something, and we’re in the middle of that discussion, you don’t get up and leave.”

The whole meltdown comes down to one thing: The House believes the Senate is drawing maps for the Tampa area because of political reasons.

Sen. Tom Lee was the author of a plan to shrink four Tampa area congressional districts down to two in the county. Without warning, the House began questioning whether the map was being drawn to favor Lee or others. Rep. Jose Oliva led the charge.

“Members, we don’t come here to have our wishes done. We come here to represent people. We come here to abide by the law” said Oliva.

The House then voted twice to refuse the Senate Map, which got only three yes votes.

It also voted not to extend the session and keep working. Senate President Andy Gardiner called the refusal a mistake.

“I think unless we can come to some agreement in the next few days, we’re going to sit back and watch the Supreme Court draw the Congressional districts” said Gardiner.

This won’t be the first time a court has drawn districts. In the late 1960‘s, lawmakers refused to change maps that saw 17 percent of the population elect a majority of the legislature, the Federal courts ordered a University of Florida political scientists to redraw all of the districts.

House Minority leader Mark Pafford says the meltdown is more proof that lawmakers are incapable of being fair.

“The Legislature, a political body, is not capable of producing a map that doesn’t have politics that are built into it” says Pafford.

A court hearing on the maps was already scheduled for next week.

The Senate voted twice to keep trying to reach a deal on a map until early next week. The House voted to go home without a map.

Parents from around the state and around the country are sending their kids off to college, and as Matt Galka tells us, at Florida State safety is an increased concern because of a recent string of attempted abductions.

It’s move in day at Florida State. Daniel Bryan is helping his step-daughter get settled in. But he’ll go back to New Jersey where they live, so his step-daughter staying safe is a priority.

“She has a pretty good head on her shoulders but we can never emphasize safety too much,” said Bryan.

Florida State police and Tallahassee law enforcement are investigating a recent string of attempted abductions. The latest one may be the most concerning. It happened in broad daylight.

The most recent attempted abduction happened Wednesday just two blocks from campus.

Major Jim Russell with FSU police spoke to parents about campus safety during an orientation Friday morning.

“It’s a college environment and you have really nice people with a common goal but there’s criminals out there, too,” he said.

Andrew Grant was in attendance. He and his wife are going back to London and won’t be able to monitor their son as often as some parents, but they’re not worried.

“It’s not a concern to be perfectly honest, hearing that presentation makes it even less of a concern,” said Grant.

Major Russell says students and parents can use simple tips to try and stay safe.

“Not walking alone at night, avoiding isolation, staying in well lit areas. All those things that we all do, make sure you put those in place here, too, on campus and around campus if you happen to live off campus,” said Russell.

The new semester for Florida State starts Monday. The attempted abduction is the latest in a string of seven that have happened in Leon County in the past 6 months.

Legislation filed in the State Capitol would ban the flying of Confederate flags over Government buildings in Florida, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the idea is likely to meet with stiff resistance.

The Confederate flag flying at the courthouse in Walton county has generated calls for an economic boycott of the counties popular beaches. Marion counties flag at the government complex has drawn thousands of supporters and protestors. Now one state lawmaker, Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando),  wants the controversies to be over…by banning the flying of the confederate flag on any public property” says Thompson.

“All of the taxpayers pay for those properties. And may not really believe, or may not accept what’s being projected by the symbols.”

About 14 thousand Floridians…a fifth of the white population at the time…fought for the

Confederacy…a third of them died.

One of those who fought was state Rep Dennis Baxley’s great great great grandfather.

“You know, as a descendent of a Confederate soldier, I feel like I’m being asked to demean that history” says Baxley.

The legislation has also fired up the Sons of Confederate Veterans and David McCallister who says it dishonors those who served. “I think it’s really a slap in the face of the confederate veterans who were the United States Veterans as well and a slap in the face as well to their thousands and thousands of descendants.”

The legislation bans not just flags…but emblems as well.

Legislators want to clarify a law that previously allowed amateur gun ranges in neighborhoods. As Matt Galka tells us, a new proposal would ban bullets in the backyard.

A homemade backyard gun range concerned neighbors in St. Petersburg earlier this year.  The makeshift target was in Representative Darryl Rouson’s (D-St. Petersburg) district.

“A 21 year old thought that he could set up a gun range in his daddy’s backyard and the neighbors realized how unsafe that was and how threatening it was,” he said.

The incident inspired action from Rouson in 2015 that ultimately failed.  But a bill that would ban backyard gun ranges is back for 2016 – this time with a Republican sponsor and added support.

“The NRA a lot of folks support it and just think it’s a common sense safety bill,” said sponsor Rep. Neil Combee (R-Polk County).

The Florida Police Chiefs Association is also backing the bill aimed at clarifying a current law prohibiting private ranges.

The bill would have no effect on recreational gun clubs.

“It never meant to capture five acre, 50 acre plots, farms, rural areas where there’s not much density. What we meant to capture was urban cores where people with neighbors 25 yards apart,” said Rep. Rouson.

Rep. Combee is confident the proposal passes.

“There will be bipartisan support, support of the Police chiefs association support of the NRA, I think it’ll be one that will pass early,” he said.

The bill applies to areas with a density of one or more houses per acre and includes a penalty of a first degree misdemeanor charge if someone sets up a private range.

The Florida Senate moved forward with a new congressional voting map Wednesday as they enter the home stretch of a special session, but as Matt Galka tells us, it sets up a two day scramble to try and end session on time.

The Florida Senate was poised to pass their own version of a congressional map Wednesday.  It was a day after the state House blasted the Supreme Court’s order for new maps and approved a base map.

“This map was a base map for discussion purposes. A discussion map, it was not intended to be a final product.  I know my leadership well enough that if I was called up enough simply to rubber stamp a map drawn by staff, they would have told me,” said Sen. Tom Lee (R-Brandon).

Sen. Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville) tried a last minute tweak to change North Florida’s District 5 which previously ran from Jackonsville to Orlando but would now run from Jacksonville 200 miles west into Leon County.

“It’s not about the snaking or the squaring or the rounding of any district, it’s about the people who live within that district,” she said.

The amendment failed, but differences in both chamber’s maps remain.  The Senate’s version splits Hilsborough county into two district. The base map divided up the area into four.

“The bill that you are about to vote on represents a map that is more constitutionally compliant, has greater hereto compliance than any map from this legislature or filed in the judicial precedings,” said Redistricting Chair Sen. Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton).

The two map versions means the sides will now have to come to an agreement before the week ends.

“Hopefully we can convince the House that the modifications in the Senate committee improve the maps performance constitutionally,” said Galvano

Florida’s second special session of the year is scheduled to end Friday.  Both sides need to come to an agreement on a map for that to happen.

The state House today approved a congressional map, drawn in secret by staff, that splits Hillsborough County into four districts, cuts Sarasota in half, and reduces the ability of blacks to elect a north Florida congress person. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, today’s vote sets up a showdown with the state Senate over the lines in Hillsborough County.

Lawmakers made it clear, they resent the Florida Supreme Court for ordering them  to redraw Florida’s congressional lines. Rep. Mike Hill (R-Pensacola) complained loudly.

“The United States and Florida Constitutions have been assaulted” Hill told his colleagues.

Rep. John Wood of Winter Haven went so far as to suggest removing the judges,

“Impeachment” said Wood.

Democrats were quick to remind the GOP lawmakers the redrawing was a result of their own mischief. Rep. Jose Rodriguez (D-Miami)

“We are here because this legislature violated the constitution. The Florida Supreme Court describes a shadow redistricting process” says Rodriguez.

“76 years, 35 nays, Mr. Speaker”

While approved, even those in charge say the map poses big problems…among them, using thousands of black prison inmates to boost the black voting age of a new district stretching from Jacksonville to Tallahassee. Rep. Jose Oliva (R-Miami) is the House Redistricting Chair. “While we reduced the black voting age population, add to it the fact that some of that population may be incarcerated and may not be able to vote. I think its certainly reason for concern” says Oliva.

The House map splits Hillsborough into four districts. It sets up a showdown with the Senate, whose map only splits Hillsborough into two.

The Supreme Court is still going to have the final say on these maps, but that’s not likely to happen until October.

The debate also increased the calls for taking the map drawing out of the hands of partisan lawmakers and giving it to an independent commission.

Others also noted the new maps don’t account for more than a million and a half people who have moved to Florida since the 2010 Census. The State Senate will take up its version of the maps tomorrow, which will leave Thursday and Friday for working out the differences between the two maps.

It looks like the Florida House and Senate are disagreeing again, this time over the congressional voting district maps they were forced to redraw.

The Florida House rejected amendments proposed Monday and will vote on the “base” congressional district map Tuesday.  Legislators have questioned the Supreme Court’s decision to find the original maps unconstitutional, and there’s no guarantee the court will find the re-drawn maps constitutional either.

“You end up with the production of a base map, but done in a way that was sequestered from any possible political intent, and that’s how we arrived here,” said Rep. Jose Oliva/(R) Miami Lakes.

A Senate committee made changes to the base map during a committee meeting Monday that would reconfigure parts of Hillsborough County.

The state’s Agency for Healthcare Administration cited three Planned Parenthood facilities for abortion violations, but as Matt Galka tells us, the clinics are fighting back.

Planned Parenthood is balking at claims from the state’s Agency for Healthcare Administration that three of their clinics were performing unlicensed abortions.

“We’re trying to get clarification from the court as to our rights and responsibilities under the laws and rules that govern these three clinics effected by this matter,” said Planned Parenthood attorney Julie Gallagher.

The state says three clinics in St. Petersburg, Fort Myers and Naples were performing second trimester abortions when they’re only licensed to perform first trimester procedures. Gallagher filed an injunction Monday to stop further sanctions.

“We’ve been doing what we’ve been doing for the last 9 years and it hasn’t been an issue, and now suddenly they’re calling these procedures that have been considered first trimester procedures now they’re calling them second, when nothing’s changed,” she said.

AHCA secretary Liz Dudek told us last week she disagreed with Planned Parenthood’s claims that AHCA is changing the definition of the procedures.

“If you look at the definition of second trimester and what they reported in number of weeks of gestational age, I’d go back to them and ask them what they reported,” she said.

Planned Parenthood says they’ve been following the 2006 rule defining the first trimester as the first twelve weeks of pregnancy and the first 14 weeks since a woman’s last menstrual cycle.

No criminal charges have been filed against the clinics.

The three facilities have stopped performing abortions through the 14^th week out of caution and have directed patients to other clinics.

AHCA released this statement on the issue: “Planned Parenthood self-reported that they were performing unauthorized abortions during the 2^nd trimester at three of their Florida clinics. The Agency looks forward to litigating this matter.”

The 13 other Planned Parenthood clinics in the state are licensed to perform second trimester abortions. The investigation into the facilities was launched by the Governor after videos from another state regarding fetal tissue sales went viral.

Lobbyists and other policy makers have noticed a familiar face driving them around Florida’s Capital. Matt Galka took a ride with the Florida House’s Rules Committee Chairman who now spends his nights driving people for the ride sharing company Uber.

He’s not your typical Uber driver.

“Haha yup! Welcome!” says Rep. Ritch Workman (R-Melbourne) when you get into his car.

Workman moonlights as a driver for the ride sharing company around Florida’s capital now.  It’s not exactly the same type of work he puts in for the House of Representatives, but the similarities are there. Talking to different passengers is not so different than campaigning.

When we tagged along Thursday night, the first pickup was for a group of college kids celebrating a birthday.

“His 21^st birthday, big night on the town and I was a little piece of it, it was fun,” he said.

Workman says he’d be glad to add perspective to an Uber regulation battle between the companies and taxis that will surely be a hot topic in 2016’s legislative session.

“Uber is making in-roads on their owns without state assistance in the local municipalities, and that’s important. I’m not sure preemption is the answer you go to first.  It often time is the one you must go to last when all local efforts have failed,” he said.

The Melbourne Republican says he doesn’t see the need to regulate the dueling companies the same.  He says taxis were regulated to try and prevent drivers from increasing fares on unsuspecting customers. Uber’s technology makes it tough to do.

He provided one more piece of wisdom before dropping us off.

“Drunk dudes, when you’re the sober driver, are not nearly as interesting as they think they are,” he said with a laugh.

But he says he’s happy to help someone get home if they can’t get behind the wheel – and keep himself out of trouble after midnight in the process.

Driving for Uber is a third job for Workman who, along with being a part-time state legislator, is a director of business development at Keiser University. He says the added money helps support his wife and six children.

Taxpayers will be one point three million dollars poorer after Governor Rick Scott’s office settles several public records lawsuits. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the costs have public records advocates fuming.

Behind this law office sits the home of former Governor Leroy Collins. It’s soon going to be a museum. The Attorney..Steve Andrews, supported Governor Rick Scott’s opponents. And after Scott was elected, a dispute erupted over who had rights to buy the law firm property…Andrews or the state. In requests for public records, Andrews discovered Scott had two non state email accounts used for state business. Law suits followed. This is what Andrews told us last year.

“One of the most important rights in the Florida Constitution is the right to public records. In any form. Private emails, cell phones “ said Andrews last August.

A year later, the state is settling with Andrews for 7 hundred thousand dollars. A 120,000 check was ordered by the Governor;s office on Monday. The exchange is set for 10 am Friday morning.

We talked with Andrews off camera. He wants to wait until the case settles Friday before saying anything publicly.

Documents also show the Governor is paying 304 thousand dollars to outside law firms to defend himself against Andrews and against media outlets in a separate case. .

Media Attorney Carol Locicero says its a shame taxpayers are on the hook for the Governor’s actions.

“Transparency starts with the right attitude and its really not been a priority of this Governor’s office.”

In agreeing to settle the case, Andrews is giving up 1.2 million in legal fees. T

The future of whether the law office every becomes part of the museum entrance remains up in the air.   Public records requests made of the Governor often take a month or more to fulfill. And under a new policy, the office posts every response to a records request online.

Funding for legal aid programs in Florida is closely tied to the interest rate…which is virtually nothing on savings accounts these days. As Mike Vasilinda shows us in this next story, the result has been staff cuts, lawyers fired, and fewer cases getting help.

“We had to lay off almost half our staff” is how Florida Legal Services Director Ann Swerlick started our tour of her office.

As a result, a lot of the offices at Florida Legal Services are empty,

“The work has not gone away. We are desperately trying to do more with less.

Q:” No lawyers but lots of cases still?”

“Lots of cases.” says Swerlick

The problem is low interest rates. The interest lawyers earn on other peoples money has gone to fund legal aid in the past…but 90 percent of it has dried up as rates dropped.

“Thousands of Floridians who can’t afford lawyers are getting turned away from legal aid because their staffs are reduced” says Swerlick, who took over the job two months ago,

One proposed solution…raising the dues paid by lawyers from two to three hundred dollars a year. 500 lawyers led by a former Supreme Court Justice asked for the hike, which raises ten million. But the State Supreme Court said no.

The legal community has consistently said funding help for the poor is society’s problem, and lawyers should;t be the only ones picking up the tab.

The court wants to wait for a study due next year. By then there will be fewer lawyers helping the poor and middle class.

“Whether its access to health care, housing, basic sustenance such as food, Lawyers can be critical to making that happen” says Swerlick.

To qualify for legal services, a family of four would have to earn just under 30 thousand dollars a year.

Every year the Department of Education releases a critical needs list for areas with teacher shortages in the state. As Matt Galka tells us, a bill filed hopes to cut into that shortage by paying off debt and keeping instructors in Florida.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – commonly referred to as STEM fields, will get some attention from the state legislature in 2016.  Rep. Ed Narain wants to encourage young people to jump into teaching those subjects.

“What we’re finding is a lot of students they get educated, they take advantage of in-state tuition, and then they leave. So they go to other states, and they’re actually able to benefit their economies and their employment, but not here in Florida. So we want to change that,” said Rep. Narain (D-Tampa).

Narain filed a bill for 2016 that would forgive student loans for STEM teachers. He hopes it can help keep talented young people in the state while also addressing teacher shortages in those areas.  Mark Pudlow with the Florida Education Association says the need for educators keeps growing.

“I think that over the  years it’s become more pronounced, and a lot of the reason for it is, the pay isn’t up to other professionals level, and there’s been a lot of political meddling in the education field with politicians telling teachers how to teach,” said Pudlow.

The bill has a cap of forgiving 16 thousand dollars worth of student loans per STEM teacher.

Narain’s bill would forgive student loans after a teacher teaches for eight years.  He says the bill focuses on STEM because that’s where the jobs are going.

“When we look at the jobs that are being created in other places like Silicon Valley, over in Charlotte, over in Texas even, they’re STEM jobs, and those are jobs we want to have here in the state of Florida,” said Rep. Narain.

An identical bill was filed for 2015’s legislative session but failed to get a hearing.

The Department of Education lists English and Reading ahead of STEM courses when it comes to need for filling teacher shortages in the state.

Lawmakers will look to try and crack down on texting while driving in 2016. As Matt Galka tells us, there’s a push to ramp up penalties if you’re texting behind the wheel around a school.

Texting behind the wheel is a problem that Representative Richard Stark (D-Weston) is seeing too much of.

“I turn around and I look, and my wife is driving, and there’s a woman texting with her phone up to here! And she’s slow and I just..I want to do something,” said Rep. Stark.

Stark filed a bill for the 2016 legislative session to try and crack down on the risky behavior.  His bill would double a person’s fine if they’re driving and texting in a school zone.

“They’re having some issues in schools, probably more parents than the kids, but it’s an area we need to address,” he said

Legislation is also being planned to make texting while driving a primary offense.

Florida is one of only five states with texting laws that have the ban as a secondary offense – meaning a cop can’t pull you over for just texting.  Representative Irv Slosberg (D-Boca Raton) has been trying to change that.

“The bills that I do are grand slam home runs, road safety effects all of our citizens and our guests, but when you have legislation like this is takes a while to convince a lot of different members,” he said.

Florida Highway Patrol statistics show things aren’t trending in the right direction.  Distracted driving accidents have increased by 25 percent since 2012.

Critics of Florida’s current texting while driving ban say that the law doesn’t have any teeth.  A texting while driving secondary offense ticket only carries a $30 dollar fine.