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Florida lawmakers are back in the state Capitol tonight after a court ordered them to redraw the states congressional maps for a third time. Twice the courts have ruled the maps were unconstitutionally drawn to favor partisan interests. Now, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, even those involved doubt lawmakers can be trusted to do the job.

Lawmakers have already spent more than eight million dollars defending the illegal maps they have drawn, only to lose twice.

Now they are back at the Capitol for a third bite at the maps. They were ordered to redraw two districts a year ago. Now they are redrawing 22 of the 27 districts. Unlike past attempts, they say they are now keeping partisan politics out of the map drawing. Senator Bill Galvano is the Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee. We asked if members were talking to political consultants, a practice that lead to the current special session.

“No..not that I’m aware of…and after the lengthy litigation we’ve been through, I don;t think anyone has any interest in doing that” replied Galvano.

House minority leader Mark Pafford doubts  the job will get done any more fairly than before.

“Staff has drawn a map. Legislators apparently have no idea about the reasons behind it” says Pafford.

The League of Women Voters is calling for an independent commission to draw the maps. Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Broward) is introducing a bill to do just that.

Q:”Every time this has come up before, people have said you can’t take politics out of politics” we asked.

“And that’s the fight…we’re trying to do the impossible.  To get that to happen. To remove as much politics as humanly possible.

Even as the new map drawing begins, two law suits threaten their implementation.

One challenges the Fair Districts Amendment on free speech issues..suggesting political consultants are being denied access. The other is from a Jacksonville Congresswoman who will lose her Jax to Orlando seat in the redrawing effort.

Lawmakers have until August 22 to craft new maps. They are due back in court in late September.

Flanked by a former Speaker of the Florida House and an array of political consultants, Neal Dunn, a Panama City surgeon has filed to runs for Congress from the soon to be redrawn second Congressional district. Dunn has a long family history of military service, including his own as an Army Surgeon. He says he will think twice before sending troops to war.

“And I promise you that I will never never cast a vote to send anyone’s child, son or daughter, to fight for this country unless we give them the tools to win, and they have the complete backing, and I mean complete backing of the United States government.”

As the Panama City surgeon announced his run fro Congress this morning, two protestors stood across the street from the Florida Press Center holding larger than life size checks written to Democrats. They are trying to make the point that Panama City surgeon Neal Dunn has given money to democrats in the past. They question his loyalty to the Republican party. Dunn says he regrets the donations.

Sot: Neal Dunn

Congressional Candidate (R)

“And every now and then you make a donation, maybe as a favor to friend. I wish I hadn’t done it, you know. They’re small. And in the general context of all the donations that we’ve made politically, contributions and the money we’ve raised and the support that we’ve shown, this is disingenuousÍ to call that support for a liberal candidate.”

Dunn says he has raised hundreds of thousands for republican Candidates and has personally contributed more than 60 thousand of his own money. Dunn also says he made the decision to run before courts ordered the district redrawn. Initial maps make the district much more friendly to Republican candidates. A Tallahassee Attorney, Mary Thomas has also filed to run in the seat.

New drivers in Florida are failing their driving tests at an alarming rate, and as Matt Galka tells us, state officials say they’ll make things right, but won’t sacrifice safety.

Robert Murray hopes to have his license at the end of the month. He’s taking hands on driving lesson classes with the American Safety Institute to help him pass the test.

“There’s a lot muscle memory involved and I don’t think you can get that just by watching other people drive or like taking a course in it,” said Murray.

In order to get to the driving part of the exam, Murray will have to pass the written test.  Florida switched to a new 50 question exam in January. Nearly 60% of people are failing.

Driving instructor John Zarate is fine with a tougher test.

“I’ll be honest with you, I think the standards are pretty low at this point right now,” he said.

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Terry Rhodes has asked for patience as her agency deals with the failure rate.

“We just want the young drivers and the new drivers to know the Florida law, the traffic laws, we want them to make sure they understand what that means, that it’s a life or death situation,” she said.

State officials want to make sure the test isn’t made easier just to increase the pass rate.

“I’m not advocating we dumb down the test anytime you raise the standard you’re going to see an adjustment period, a transition period, so I don’t begrudge that if we’re asking the right questions,” Agriculture Commisisoner Adam Putnam told Rhodes earlier this week.

Rhodes says the test questions focus on more critical thinking, and that her department will come up with new study guys and focus on education to better prepare new drivers.

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says their agency strives for a 70 percent pass rate.

Floridians get to enjoy 10 days of tax free shopping on school supplies starting Friday, and as Matt Galka tells us, the sales tax holiday is tied for the state’s longest ever.

Backpacks, clothes, and computers; they’ll all be avoiding the taxman’s fees starting Friday when Florida kicks off a much longer back to school sales tax holiday

“This year we advocated for a longer extension and they agreed with it, and now it’s 10 days,” said James Miller with the Florida Retail Federation.

Miller says that the recent three day sales tax holidays were good, but a longer tax free time period is better for businesses.

“It allows them to space out the traffic we’re going to see for this holiday, in years past, over three days, there was an influx of people for those three days, lots of traffic, some retailers maybe couldn’t necessarily handle the increased workload,” he said.

The state expects shoppers to save almost $70 million dollars thanks to the holiday.

The National Retail Federation says average families spend more than $600 dollars a year on back to school shopping.  The Department of Education says the sales tax holiday is a good way for low-income families to stock up on the same items.

“The reality is that they want to come to school looking well, too.  So that gives them the opportunity, and it gives the community to give back to schools with supplies,” said K-12 Chancellor Hershel Lyons.

If you can’t make it out to the store, all online purchases of eligible items will be tax free if they’re bought during the 10 day window.

The tax free holiday runs from August 7^th through August 16^th.  Clothing under $100 dollars, the first $750 dollars of computer, and school supplies $15 dollars and under will all be tax exempt.

The newly reappointed head of an important state agency has some controversial ideas for state parks, but as Matt Galka tells us, top state officials told him to reconsider.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jon Steverson was reappointed by the Governor and Cabinet Wednesday, but not before some serious grilling. The issue – Steverson is kicking around the idea of opening up Florida’s state parks to cattle grazing, timber harvesting, and even hunting. He says it’s about self-sustainability.

“I want to say hey what can we do to make our parks the most beneficial to the citizens of the state, to the visitors of the state, and to the environment which we’re serving,” he said.

But the idea doesn’t sit well with Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam.

“They’re not going to be self-sustainable and what it would take to manage a park to be self-sustainable would be unacceptable to the reasons why we got it,” Putnam told Steverson.

Florida’s state parks system has been nationally recognized nationally with three gold medals from the National Recreation and Park Association.

Opponents of the idea said that privatizing the parks won’t help the state win any more awards.

Park advocate Jono Miller said that opening the parks up won’t send the right message to Floridians.

“Hearing chainsaws, dead deer, and cows are not going to get us a fourth gold medal,” he said.

Jean Huffman with environmental group Parks in Peril presented thousands of petitions to the Governor and cabinet.

“If these activities become practice in our state parks these citizens are committed to opposing these implementations,” she said.

Steverson said he’d take all concerns into consideration, but wouldn’t totally take the idea off the table.

The Governor and Cabinet also reappointed FDLE chief Rick Swearingen who received much more support from the four state officials.

The legislature put incentive money on the table for schools that made the switch to mandatory uniforms this year. But as Matt Galka tells us, not many districts are jumping at the idea.

Teacher Rod Durham didn’t grow up wearing a uniform for school

“I did not, I went to the high school I teach at,” he said.

The 11^th grade creative writing instructor says he doesn’t really see the need for them in his classroom.

“It gives everybody kind of a, to use the word ‘uniform’ kind of look where everyone’s the same, but I’ve just never had a problem with kids expressing themselves through their clothes,” said Durham.

But the legislature gave schools some extra help in their decision making process on uniforms this year.  They’ve incentivized making what they call Standard School Attire mandatory for elementary and middle schools. Districts are eligible to receive $10 dollars per student if they make the change.

Only four districts have applied to potentially make the switch to khakis and collared shirts so far.

There’s a $10 million dollar pot available to schools on a first come first serve basis.  K-12 Chancellor Hershel Lyons says the Department of Education isn’t pushing districts one way or the other.

“We just implement what the legislature puts in place,” he said.

The incentive program made the cut in the state’s budget.  It had previously passed the House but not the Senate.  Lawmakers heard from five districts that already had uniforms.

“When they implemented a school uniform policy in their schools the climate the culture of their schools improved. It’s an issue of school safety,” said Rep. Janet Adkins (R-Fernandina Beach) in March.

Uniforms are also eligible for the state’s back to school sales tax holiday which starts at then end of the week.

School’s have until September 1^st to apply for the incentive money.  A school would have to have their school uniform policy in place by January 1^st.

The President announced a new rule Monday set at cutting into greenhouse gasses that experts say are helping to cause climate change. As Matt Galka tells us, environmentalists in the state are praising the effort.

Florida will have to continue to cut down on greenhouse gasses under a new federal plan released Monday.

The President and Environmental Protection Agency hope the Clean Power Plan cuts carbon emissions by 32 percent in the next 15 years

Environmentalist Eric Draper says action against climate change – a heavily debated topic experts say is causing water to rise – is needed now.

“Climate change threatens us so significantly because we’re a low lying state and sea level rise is going to do some significant damage to Florida. The good news is that Florida is ready for this plan, already our utilities have done a good job of cleaning out our carbon impacts on the environment,” he said.

Earth Justice environmental attorney Bradley Marshall says the plan is an opportunity for Florida to embrace cleaner energy solutions. The federal plan offers credits to states using renewable resources.

“Here in Florida we’re hoping that this will open the state to solar finally. This is the sunshine state, and we hope that this means Florida can finally live up to its name,” said Marshall.

A new report says Florida has the most to lose when it comes to climate change.

The Risky Business economic report on climate change says Florida already has $69 billion dollars worth of coastal property at risk. A number that could balloon to $152 billion in the next 35 years.

The rule is already receiving criticism and is expected to be challenged in court.

National wildlife groups  are ramping up efforts across the southeast to help out vulnerable ecosystems, and that includes plant life here in Florida. As Matt Galka tells us, part of that effort is teaching people the difference between good fires and bad fires, and hopefully preventing wildfires.

The longleaf pine once stretched from Virginia to Texas and covered 90 million acres of land in the U.S. That numbers down to around 3.5 million acres.  But officials are hoping for a comeback.

$4.6 million dollars from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will be pumped into projects including here in Florida.  Cheryl Millett with the Nature Conservancy says prescribed fires will be key in restoring the longleaf pine, and prevent bigger problems.

“When we get one of those lightning strikes that we’re going to get because we’re in the lightning capital of North America, it doesn’t turn into a big wildfire. Having that prescribed burn really helps,” she said.

Prescribed burns help clear out the excess brush and shrubs from Florida vegetation. Jennifer Evans helped run a workshop in Florida’s capital aimed at educating people throughout the state about the necessary fires.

“Some fires can be good fires. We want people to understand that there are actually good fires out there and that are good for the ecosystem and the health of the forest,” said Evans.

Vernon Compton with the Longleaf Alliance says now they need to reach out to private landowners about the fire’s benefit.

“In Florida, land is going to burn sooner or later, either under controlled conditions or under wildfire, I look at it like fire is your best insurance policy,” he said.

Preventing wildfires would be a good break for state firefighters who are already having a tough year. Florida Forest Service firefighters were set to get raises this year, until it was ultimately cut out of the budget.

The $4.6 million dollars granted to programs around the country looks to restore nearly 12,000 acres of longleaf pine.

Should a trip to the doctor for a checkup include a question about whether or not you own a gun? As Matt Galka tells us, Florida can start enforcing a ban on those questions shortly.

Pediatrician Louis St. Petery says the first funeral he attended in Tallahassee was for a child who shot himself by accident with a parent’s hand gun.

“That was a shocking thing for us at that point in time, for my wife and me, and one of the reasons that I’m pretty passionate about the fact this needs to be done correctly,” he said.

St. Petery and the American Academy of Pediatrics have been fighting against a law for the past four years that would prevent Doctors from asking patients about gun ownership.

The “Docs vs. Glocks” law pits the first amendment against the second amendment.  An appeals court lifted the injunction on the law earlier this week.

National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer says questioning patients about guns is outside of the scope of a doctor’s work.

“When you take a child to a pediatrician for medical care, you’re not taking them there to have a doctor talk to you about their political agendas with regard to firearms,” she said.

Opponents of the law argue it’s no different than talking to parents about poison control. The American Civil Liberties Union bashed the court’s decision.

“This is a free speech restriction, but it’s a free speech restriction that also could be very, very dangerous for the children of the state of Florida,” said Executive Director Howard Simon.

The law could take effect in about a month pending any further appeals. Groups challenging the law say doctors can still ask about gun ownership as they continue to go through the appeals process.

An unprecedented admission by the Florida legislature has given way to another special session in the state for 2015.  As Matt Galka tells us, groups that have been pushing for proper voting maps say the legislature is admitting they were wrong.

The Florida Senate says their voting districts will most likely be unconstitutional and they’ll need to be redrawn.  Peter Butzin with Common Cause Florida, a group challenging the districts, is declaring victory.

“They’re caving in and they’re recognizing that we’ve won, and that they’ve lost.  I’m happy they’ve come to that conclusion, it’s after over 7 million dollars have been spent on litigation, it’s over three years past after the original redistricting plan,” said Butzin.

The legislature will hold a third special session of 2015 in order to redraw the voting maps. The move helps the Senate avoid a potential trial.

“I’ve seen several quotes from Senate leadership saying anytime they can avoid a trial it’s in their best interest, and they made that determination that it’s in their best interest to take on the maps without the courts dictating it,” said Penny Walker Bos with the League of Women Voters.

Redrawing maps might not be the only business being decided during the third special session.

The October special session will coincide with the expiration of a negotiation window between the state and Seminole tribe for a deal that authorizes blackjack and table games. Gaming law expert Marc Dunbar says it sets up nicely for the legislature to kill two birds with one stone.

“That’s the way the compact was laid out, it gave them the 90 day period to negotiate, table games have to be stopped October 29^th, so an October Special Session makes sense to bring everything in for a landing,” he said.

The state’s third special session will run from October 19^th through November 6^th.

A second special session is already scheduled to begin in about two weeks to redraw congressional voting maps.

The confederate flag was still flying over a panhandle county’s courthouse Tuesday morning. Matt Galka was at the county commission meeting where officials voted on whether or not to keep the divisive symbol up.

The deal allowing blackjack and other table games at Seminole casinos in the state is just about up. As Matt Galka tells us, the state is wondering when the Tribe will end those games.

Cards are still being dealt at Seminole Casinos around the state…for now.  The provision in the Seminole Compact that gives the Tribe exclusive rights to deal blackjack and other table games expires August 1^st.

The state’s top regulator Ken Lawson sent a letter to the tribe Monday asking when they’d stop the games.  The deal says the Tribe has 90 days to end the card games because the two sides have not yet reached an extension.

Gaming law expert Marc Dunbar says he doesn’t see the Tribe folding on the games anytime soon.

“I think they’ll be dealing blackjack in Tampa and Hollywood for several more years to come regardless of what happens in court, again, there are strengths and weaknesses in both sides of this equation,” he said.

The Seminoles say the state already violated the compact by allowing electronic versions of the game in other parts of the state.  Their view: they can still offer the games and not pay the state revenue because of the violation.

The two sides aren’t exactly talking about chump change. The compact has made about a billion dollars for the state in the last five years.

Dunbar says all signs seem to be pointing to a date in front of a judge.

“This is all a precursor, probably, to a dance in a federal court in front of a judge sometime in October, if they don’t resolve things. I think the timing of this is trying to position things for time at a negotiating table, they’ll work it out, and we’ll probably see maybe an October special session,” he said.

The tribe had requested a meeting with the Governor last month to come to a resolution. That has yet to happen.State officials have requested to meet with the Tribe in the next 15 days to discuss the Tribe’s timeline for shutting down the card games. The Seminole Tribe sent their own letter to the Governor’s office Monday, requesting mediation with the state in the next 30 days to continue allowing card games and expanding where they can do so.

The state’s top doctor is calling for warning labels on e cigarette devices and vials of liquid nicotine., It is already illegal for anyone under 18 to use or be sold e cigarette products, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, being illegal hasn’t stopped an explosion in underage use.

State lawmakers make it clear last year…e cigarettes were illegal for anyone under 18. But that’s not good enough says the Department of Health.  The State’s top doctor wants warning labels, and child proof caps which can only come with federal regulation. Shannon Hughes is the State Health Departments point person on tobacco.

““The packaging is a concern. There is no regulation, no law, that says how the liquid nicotine is to be dispensed. They currently do not have child safe lids on them” says Hughes.

In this store there are three signs that say you must be at least 18, and they check ID.

E cigarette use by high school age students has doubled in just a year. And despite age restrictions, internet purchases remain a problem.

And liquid tobacco can be colorful to young eyes. Calls nationally to poison control hot lines have also increased from one a month to 215.

Amy and Jim Hampton have been selling e cigarettes for three years

“I think it does need to have warning labels on. You know, you want it to be a safe product” says Amy Hampton

Amy says parents have some responsibility as well.

“Don’t leave your juice sitting where a child can access it” she advises.

Sot: Shannon Hughes

“It’s all our responsibility. We, at Public Health, our job is to get the word out and help raise awareness” says DOH’s Hughes.

The most recent statistics show there were 136 arrests for selling tobacco products to under age buyers.

Underage tobacco users can expect to do community service and pay a small fine. Multiple violations can result in a teen’s drivers license being suspended. More than 500 were suspended in the most recent statistics.

Life wasn’t easy for Americans living with disabilities a quarter of a century ago. But as Matt Galka tells us, the 25^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities act is a cause for celebration, but doesn’t mean the work is done.

John Kemp says there’s no comparison between 2015 and 1990.

“It’s so much better today because of the Americans with Disabilities Act,” he said.

Kemp, a quadruple amputee, was instrumental in getting the law signed 25 years ago.  It helped break down many walls there were holding people with disabilities back from living a normal life.

“The more that we’ve been able to include people with disabilities into the fabric for America, it lifts all boats, it increases the exchange, the understanding, and the appreciation of all people,” said Kemp.

Supporters marched through Florida’s Capital city to mark the 25^th anniversary of the law that eliminated discrimination for people with disabilities. But many in attendance said there was still a lot of work to be done.

Florida disability advocate J.R. Harding agreed that things are better today.

“It’s like going from the dark ages to the light,” he said.

But the gaps remain in employment.

“If we’re truly to be sustainable, if we’re going to benefit from our diversity, and the richness and the talents of all people, individuals with disabilities need to be included,” said Harding.

Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart says the state is doing everything it can to make sure students with disabilities aren’t left behind.

“We’ve done great work in the state of Florida with our students with disabilities and actually exceed the national average in our growth with students with disabilities,” said Stewart.

The unemployment rate for people with disabilities hovers around 13 percent, a number many would like to see decrease dramatically in the next 25 years.

If you’ve ever scrambled to answer your phone only to hear a recorded message, you are not alone. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, 45  State Attorneys General, including Florida’s, want the phone companies to do something about the calls.

The come on a daily basis. Calls offering something for nothing.

“It’s already been paid for, so there’s no cost to you” is how one call provided by the Attorney General went.

The company behind that call has been the subject of two complaints filed by the state.

And Even though the calls say something is free…AG Spokesman Gerald Whitney Ray says what they want is your credit card info.

“The goal is always to get that personal information, and you should be very protective of it. Once they get that financial information, you know, they can set up billing, invoices, bill you directly, and that’s what was happening here.”

Jeff Soderberg got a call claiming to be from the IRS, but he knew it was a scam. He reported it to the Attorney General.

“It was surprising. It really was. You know you always figure this is stuff you read about or watch on TV and it always happens to other people, so it was kind of a stunning amazement to me that my house got called” said Soderberg.

Complaints about robo calls are surging. this week, 45 Attorneys General, including Florida’s Pam Bondi sent a letter to the big five phone companies urging them to implement robo call blocking technology. 

And one way to fight back is to register on the do not call list. And while it may not stop many scammers from calling, what it will do is give officials another avenue to attack the scammers.

Jen Meale, spokesperson for the Fl. Dept of Ag. And Consumer Svcs Spokesperson says violations of the do not call list are the number one consumer complaint in the state. “Any violations that company can be held responsible and face fines” says Meale

Experts offer this advice. Don’t punch any buttons or prompts from the robo call. Simply hang up….otherwise you are likely to find your phone ringing more often.

Florida eliminated the fee for registering on the do not call list in 2012. You can sign up or file a complaint online at www.fldnc.com