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Florida is one of 34 states that have speed limits of seventy miles an hour or below, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, two state lawmakers are suggesting the Sunshine state join the five other states that raised their speed limits in the last year.

I Want to Drive 75

Florida didn’t adopt the 70 mile an hour speed limit on interstates until 1995. Last year nearly nine hundred thousand speeding tickets were written across the state. Now, two lawmakers are proposing bumping the limit up to 75 on interstates. The higher speed is just fine with George Martens  “I’d like to see 80”.  We met George on his way from Orlando to Illinois. “These cars today are made to go about ninety miles an hour, and have all sorts of items to avoid distraction” says the motorist.

Not everyone thinks its a good idea. DannyThomas worries motorists will start traveling faster than ever. “Everybody’s doing eighty plus,” says Thomas.  “So if you raise it to seventy-five, everybody will start doing eighty-five plus.”

At least fifteen states have higher speed limts than Florida’s. In Texas, you can legally go eighty-five on some roads.

The Department of Highway safety says the first thing they’re going to do is check with states that have raised the limit above 70 and ask how its working.  “What we’re going to do is reach out to the other states that have had this pass and see what their issue were and the successes with it” says Captain Nancy Rasmussen, the spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol in Tallahassee.

Back out at the rest area on Interstate Ten, long haul trucker Dan Taylor is all for traveling faster….because it’ll put more money in his pocket. “I’m paid by the mile, so the more miles I can get out in a day…and I can only drive for eleven hours, I make more money” says Tucker, who was on his way to Dallas, Texas.

Taylor is from Kansas…where interstate speeds are already posted at 75.

State Senator Jeff Clemons, one of two sponsors of the high limit was quick to point out the higher limit would be on rural interstate and toll roads only. He also tells us motorists should be able to drive at whatever speed is safe.

Here is a link to the speed limits in other states: http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/speedlimit_laws.html

 

 

Decades after six veterans served their country in the military, they are being honored in a new way. Florida unveiled its new Veteran’s Hall of Fame at the state capitol. Prior to the unveiling – Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott presented six hall of fame inductees with awards for going above and beyond in the military.

“The bravery and sacrifice of our veterans has preserved and protected the American Dream for generations,” said Governor Scott.

Hall of Fame inductee Captain Robert Silah says the award is special.

“It’s unbelievable, especially being in the first class,” said Silah. “I never expected that, so, it’s quite an honor and I’m very, very honored.”

Florida joins Georgia and Arkansas in the Southeast for honoring veterans with a hall of fame. Nationwide there are fewer than 15 states who have a veterans halls of fame.

“I think it’s long overdue, that this should have happened years ago,” said Major John Haynes. “But, we veterans, we certainly understand. We’re very patient people.”

Statewide there are 1-point-6 million veterans. Recipient Major General John Cleland says this award doesn’t only honor him, but all of those who have fought for their country.

“All veterans stand tall and all veterans should be recognized,” said Cleland.

Inductees are chosen based on their contribution to the state in civic, business, public service or other pursuits.

Florida is also looking into offering in-state tuition for all military.

Florida State University learned this Veterans Day that it has been named as one of the top veteran friendly colleges in the country. FSU Student Veterans Center Director Billy Francis is on a mission.

“You’re going to see a family at Florida State that is locking arms, learning more about the issues veterans face and thinking about how they can help them,” said Francis.

FSU acknowledges the transition from the battle field to civilian life isn’t an easy adjustment. As a way to open the dialogue, the university is teaming up with world renowned journalist and filmmaker Sebastian Junger at the annual Student Veteran Film Festival.

“It’s hard to leave the trauma behind, but its also hard to return to quote normal society because it seems less interesting back home,” said Junger. “Ya know? And that’s true of soldiers and journalists.”

Junger’s film: Which Way is the Front Line From Here? honors longtime friend and journalist Tim Hetherington who was killed overseas.

“I think a soldier, a veteran can see this film and recognize in this film about a journalist, recognize some of their own issues, I think its kind of universal,” said Junger.

The Student Veteran Film Festival launched in 2011. It was designed to raise awareness for veterans’ issues and support for veteran-related initiatives at the university.

“The whole Florida State Seminole family have reached out and even embraced the veterans in this very diverse culture,” said Francis.

FSU has more than 330 student veterans on campus, the university is aggressively working to expand veteran enrollment.

“We get up everyday to help veterans achieve their goals,” said Francis.

This is the first year FSU was ranked in Military Times best colleges for vets.

Florida State is joined by the University of South Florida in the top 10 best colleges for vets. USF was ranked 5th in the poll.

Across Florida – a high number of fraudulent car accidents equal higher costs or “fraud taxes” for Floridians. As Matt Horn reports – one form of insurance may be on its way out in efforts to eliminate illegal activity.

Staged accidents like this one are driving up the cost of car insurance. Insurance companies say the cost of fraud in Florida is one of the highest in the country. Lawmakers blame the current no fault law for problems and are now looking for change.

“Florida is a unique state. But nonetheless, I think that sometimes we bare the brunt of a lot of insurance company losses,” said Senator Jeff Clemens, Lake Worth.

Since the early 1970’s no-fault insurance has been a fixture of Florida auto-insurance. The new plan – if passed into law – would end the mandatory $10 thousand requirement of Personal Injury Protection coverage that pays for injuries no matter who caused an accident.

Drivers should be weary of things disguised as common courtesy. In some places around Florida – being waved through an intersection – may be a trap for insurance fraud.

“People have understood and have learned to game the system and it’s easy to game the system because when you ram into someone’s car it could be an automatic 10 thousand dollars in coverage,” said Lisa Miller, Insurance Expert.

A Florida report says the extreme number of fraudulent car accidents cost Floridians around $1 billion a year. Lawmakers who support repealing the law say it will save drivers money on car insurance.

“I believe there is room for rate reduction and the hope is that either the change that were made last year or those that we could possibly make in terms of a move towards a mandatory BI would solve the issue,” said Clemens.

Some reforms were passed in 2012, but the changes are being challenged in court.

When Colorado dropped its similar no-fault insurance system, a Governor’s study drivers saved 35-percent overall for their coverage.

Want to know what a beach on the other side of Florida looks like? You’ll soon be able to get a 360 degree view courtesy the state’s tourism marketing agency. Visit Florida has partnered with Google to visually map more than eight hundred miles of Florida beaches.

It began in the Panhandle. “Florida-Alabama state line and these are our first steps,” says Chris Officer, Trekker.

Two teams of two people have been walking Florida’s beaches since mid July. On their backs a 40 pound 360 degree camera pack. It’s the state’s latest effort to lure more people to the state. “So it’s a great opportunity to give… wet people’s appetite and help-let them virtually explore the Florida beaches,” says Will Seccombe, Visit Florida Director.

Along their way the trekkers, as they are called, were as much a tourist attraction as the beaches they walked.

Florida had ninety one and a half million tourists last year. The goal is one hundred million and marketers think the beach views will be one more tool to reach their goal. “It’s not just a picture. You want to show people what, you know, what their beach looks like and what their walk is going to be like in the morning or the sunset that afternoon,” says Seccombe.

The trekkers have been covering about 50 miles a week, their journey hasn’t been without, well surprises. “[What do you do with nude beaches?]  Well, our Visit Florida team ran across a couple of those beaches on their trek through the state. They will be blurred out just like the licenses plates on street cam for Google,” says Will Seccombe.

The journey finishes next week on South Beach, the pictures go live early next year.

Peguy Delva was at the Florida Supreme Court today asking for her day in court. Delva was fired by her employer…the Continental group, when she returned from maternity leave three and a half years ago. She sued under the states discrimination statute, but the case was throw out by a lower court. Today, Supreme Court Justices appeared stunned she was not able to argue her case. Delva hopes to spare other pregnant women the same problems she experienced. “I’m sure I’m not the only one who is going through it, there’s somebody else. Not only one,but two or three maybe a 100 of women are going, they just don’t know what to do. This would probably help them,” says Peguy Delva, mother.

“All we want is our day in court. Mrs. Delva brought a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit in Miami and it was dismissed out of hand as a matter of law, she didn’t even get an opportunity to make an argument as to why her termination was unlawful,” says Travis Hollifield, Delva Attorney.

The court did not rule today. If it sides with Delva, it would likely order a court In Miami Dade to hear the facts.

After hundreds of thousands of Floridians saw flood insurance premiums jump by triple digits, state lawmakers say its time for the state to step into the market. Legislation is being introduced that would allow private companies and maybe the the states insurer of last resort to write flood insurance. State Senator Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg said he was filing the legislation today.

“I think we are beginning to nail down details as we speak. One of the things that we are talking about is should people have to have coverage of the full replacement value of their home or should they just have to have coverage to the value of their mortgage? That’s one of the substantial changes that we are making. But we think that the national flood insurance program cannot be trusted,” says Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg.

Florida is considered a donor state, getting just twenty five cents back in claims for ever dollar Floridians spend on flood insurance premiums.

Red Light cameras are under fire tonight on two fronts. Efforts to ban them are gaining steam in the state legislature and a case at the Florida Supreme Court could result in refunds for thousands of motorists.

An average, 1770 people are caught running a red lights by a traffic camera every day in Florida. The 158 dollar fine generated about a hundred million dollars last year. Since the cameras were first allowed, lawmakers like State Senator Jeff Brandes have been trying to get rid of them. “We’re seeing cities reduce the timing of their yellow lights, change the standards on right on reds to increase tickets. So for the most part it was sold as a safety device, but some of these cities are using it to raise taxes,” says Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg.

The cameras were authorized in 2010 after lawmakers were shown clips like this one.

Prior to the 2010 law, at least two dozen cities and counties set up red light cameras without legislative approval.

Now motorist who got tickets in 2008, 9 and 10 have sued to get their money back.

The case has made it all the way to the Florida Supreme Court. More than one judge was skeptical that lawmakers intended cities to write tickets using cameras. “The local governments have the power to set up parallel traffic system,” says Fred Lewis, Supreme Court Justice.

The court didn’t rule yet but if it does decide in favor of drivers, refunds could be forthcoming. “I think it’s relevant for anyone who got a citation prior to the enactment of the Wandel Act in 2010, this certainly is going to affect if they get a refund or not,” says Jason Weissman, Motorists Attorney.

The court case and the repeal aren’t directly related, a ruling for motorist could go a long way toward convincing law makers to scrap all the cameras.

State lawmakers are met in Tallahassee discussing the controversial Stand Your Ground Law. Part of the discussion is about altering the 10-20-life law so someone can protect themselves with a gun without using deadly force.

It’s been an ongoing argument in Florida – shoot to kill or shoot to warn? The choice may allow you to walk free or spend years behind bars at a state prison.

“We don’t want laws to tell society that you shoot and kill somebody to make sure you don’t have to go to jail because a dead man can’t talk,” said Ben Crump, Trayvon Martin family attorney.

The consequences of firing but not killing came to light in the case of Marissa Alexander, the Jacksonville woman who fired a warning shot at her husband and got 20 years in prison.

Currently, if you pull a gun, it’s a mandatory ten years in prison, if you fire it and its 20 years.

Based on the Alexander case, a Governor’s task force recommended changing the law. State Representative Neil Combee says there should by a way to protect yourself without killing someone.

“Shoot to kill is a bad idea. I think that most people, I think its human nature most people don’t want to shoot anybody,” said Representative Combee.

State prosecutors don’t want the 10-20-Life law changed, but police agencies are open to change.

“20 years for people who really haven’t physically harmed anybody, you start thinking man we need to find a way from preventing this from happening,” said Representative Combee.

A Senate Committee has already passed minor changes to Stand Your Ground, but it did not address 10-20-life changes.

The showdown over changing the highly controversial Stand Your Ground law is set to go before a House Committee Thursday.

When the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee takes up changes to Stand Your Ground Thursday afternoon, the committee will be led by Rep. Matt Gaetz. He has already said he wants no changes to the law at all.

“I support the Stand Your Ground law as it is. You know, I’m open-minded. If people have meaningful reforms that they can offer that will keep the people of our state safe I’m eager to hear those reforms,” said Representative Matt Gaetz, (R) Ft. Walton Beach.

The predisposition worries Democrats. They say some changes to Stand Your Ground are needed, now.

”You got House members, you got Senators from all across the state, they’re all agreeing to this then why is it you will or will not accept the amendments,” said Representative Perry Thurston, Jr., (D) Ft. Lauderdale.

Stand Your Ground support doesn’t follow party lines. Republican Representative Ray Pilon says he would support changes that help improve the law.

“When we got down to doing business that the legislature does we always look to improve situations, not make them worse,” said Pilon.

Florida’s Stand Your Ground law was the first of its kind to pass in the country in 2005. Depending on what happens next session, it could be one of the first to have any reforms to the current law.

A poll earlier this year shows more than half of Floridians support Stand Your Ground.

“I think there will be discussions on both sides of the issue,” said Pilon.

A Senate Committee has already approved minor changes to the law. Their intent: not to allow an aggressor to start a fight and then claim self defense.

Before two murderers walked free using forged documents, the scam had been tried 5 other times. Now, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, state lawmakers are applauding changes to release policies but asking if officials should have seen the writing on the wall.

When murders Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker were released from prison on forged documents in September and October, police were already actively investigating another failed escape attempt. FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey told lawmakers that Jeffrey Forbes was caught in May trying to use forged paperwork. “Documents were actually generated, constructed within the walls of the prison,” says Gerald Bailey, FDLE Commissioner.

Lawmakers listened to police, corrections officials, court clerks, and the judge whose signature was forged. “Was lifted off some orders that I entered in the case of the State of Florida Vs. Casey Anthony,” says Judge Belvin Perry, Chief Judge.

The bottom line is that the officials knew there had been an attempt to use fraudulent documents before the escapes and did nothing to change their system.

Afterwards Judge Belvin Perry was grilled over why steps weren’t taken by the court and clerk in Orange County when police began investigating Jeffery Forbes’ attempt to use forged documents. “We all would like to go back with hindsight and try to do things differently,” says Judge Perry.

There are also questions over how the two men who escaped were able to make their plans from inside prison using forbidden cell phones. Prison Chief Crews says it is a big and continuing problem. “We know we got a few dirty officers, I want you to keep in mind, that’s a very, very, very small percent,” says Michael Crews, correction secretary.

A smuggled cell phone could bring up to 6 hundred dollars, 41 hundred have been seized since January.

State lawmakers are demanding answers from the Department of Children and Families after the deaths of 25 children. Lawmakers say DCF didn’t have answers.

For three hours Tuesday morning – lawmakers demanded answers on how to keep Florida’s children from troubled homes safe.

“The purpose of the meeting is that we’re very upset about all of these deaths,”
said Senator Nancy Detert. “We want to know what the problem is.”

So far this year – 25 children have died under state supervision.

“This is a top priority for the governor and obviously DCF in making sure children are safe,” said Esther Jacobo.

Department of Children and Families Interim Secretary Esther Jacobo says the office has been working to improve her agencies supervision.

“What I can assure everyone is that we are working toward making the system better. That we are putting in safeguards,” she said.

But, Senator Eleanor Sobel says lawmakers are unsure of what is being done… DCF had few answers during Tuesday’s meeting.

“I expected her to gather some of that information and funnel it down and have some answers for us and guidance for us today and I wasn’t hearing it,” said Sobel.

“I’m very confident that with the kind of information that we now have and with the kind of analysis we are going to get what we need,” said Jacobo.

An October report reviewed the deaths of children under DCF’s watch. Looking for what went wrong and why. Lawmakers say they will go through the information to decide what needs fixing.

No legislation is likely to be proposed until early next year.

The agency that handles unemployment claims is on the hot seat before three legislative committees this week. The agency has had trouble answering calls and processing claims since it unveiled a new computer system three weeks ago, and although getting better, the problems are likely to persist for weeks.

Since launching a new unemployment compensation computer system October 15th, the Department of Economic Opportunity has gone from answering about one in three calls to its trouble shooing hot line to just over half the calls coming in. The problems processing claims is making lawmakers impatient. “Director we spent a lot of money to achieve basically almost the same results as a 30 year old system and people are upset,” says Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater.

Contractor Deloitte told the House committee that Florida poised unique problems because of fifteen hundred special requirements. “We’re catching half of the cost, more or less, in week three, is that correct?” Asked Rep. Ed Hooper.

“That’s what depicted on this slide, yes sir,” said Jennifer Blume, Senior VP Deloitte.

“That is not uniquely improved. That’s substandard at best,” says Rep. Ed Hooper.

Lawmakers did not get the whole story. The agency inadvertently leaked social security numbers for about four dozen people.

Executive Director Jesse Panuccio called it a technical glitch that has been fixed. “That’s something in the computer system was encoded incorrectly and resulted in an inverted disclosure,” says Jesse Panuccio, DEO Exec. Dir.

In 2012 the agency assessed a four and half million dollar penalty against Deloitte, it says fines remain an option going forward.

Last week the agency got just over 132 thousand unique calls about problems. By the agencies own numbers 63 thousand went unanswered.

 

Less than a month after two killers were fraudulently released from a prison in the Panhandle – lawmakers are now demanding answers. The state is looking to see if more inmates have been released by mistake.

A month ago – Floridians were on high alert after two convicted killers were mistakenly released from a prison in the Panhandle because of forged release forms.

“It sounds like a big mistake,” said James Hahl in October. “It’s just not right.”

Now lawmakers like Senator Rob Bradley want answers behind the big mistake.

“I will tell you one thing,” said Senator Rob Bradley. “It is embarrassing for all of those who were involved because it’s unacceptable.”

Monday afternoon officials with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Clerk of Courts and Department of Corrections were meeting with lawmakers. Corrections Secretary Michael Crews says they are working to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re all working collectively together; because ultimately, this was a public safety issue,” said Michael Crews, Department of Corrections Secretary.

D-O-C has 40 people across Florida looking to make sure are not any other fraudulent escape cases. After the release D-O-C enacted a new rules to make sure felons do not wrongfully walk away from state prisons.

“Before we release any inmate – that we will ask the judge to authenticate that order was valid,” said Crews.

Several hearings are scheduled this week. Lawmakers say they’re going to keep asking the tough questions – because at the end of the day they say the escape was a public safety issue.

“We in the Florida Senate are particularly outraged about what occurred and that is why we’re having these hearings,” said Bradley.

Lawmakers say after the meetings they will be able to gauge what all needs to be enacted to prevent a similar situation.

The Clerk of Courts is also reviewing their processes and FDLE is still investigating the wrongful release from October.

Florida’s 44th Governor announced today he wants to be its 46th Governor. Republican turned Democrat Charlie Crist won the job in 12006, left in 2011 and is running again as a Democrat. It didn’t take Republicans long to come out fighting.

As former Republican Charlie Crist was finishing up his morning announcement that he was running against the Governor, “Yea I’m running as a Democrat,” says former Governor, Charlie Crist.

The state GOP was circulating an email with a new web site and TV ad bashing the former GOP Governor. Rick Scott TV Spot says, “Democrat Alex Sink says he failed to lay out a business plan to get Florida out of its worst recession.”

Governor Rick Scott has been laying the ground work for the attack for months, blaming Crist for the economic downturn and taking credit for making the economy better. “We shouldn’t have a downturn, we shouldn’t have lost those 832 thousand jobs before I became governor,” says Governor Rick Scott on June 14, 2013.

GOP consultant Rick Wilson has worked on Crist campaigns before. “Under Charlie Crist we had record foreclosure rates, we had record unemployment rates and Rick Scott has helped clean up the mess that Charlie Crist made,” says Rick Wilson, GOP Consultant.

State Senator John Thrasher replaced Crist’s handpicked GOP chairman after financial irregularities were uncovered.  “Charlie Crist left us, he didn’t handle his problems,” says Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine.

Republicans are putting a half million dollars behind that ad, virtually nothing in a state the size of Florida, the point is to let everyone know they are going to attack.

Democrats say the early attacks may actually help convince a skeptical Democratic base that Crist is now one of them. “Think that’s going to help him in some sense within the Democratic party is that ‘why are the republicans so scared? Why are they attacking so hard,'” says Screven Watson, Democratic Consultant.

Rick Scott has vowed to spend a hundred million dollars to be re-elected.