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For the second time in less than a year, Integrity Florida is taking on Enterprise Florida.

This time over what it calls corporate welfare and a pay-to-play culture. The report calls out the state’s economic development agency for giving tax incentives to companies that promised to create 200-thousand jobs… but only created about half that amount.

“We are allowed to have other discussions and debate about how we grow our state’s economy and when you look at incentives as one tool, the idea of rebates to some companies and not their competitors, it’s worth asking, ‘is that the best way to do it? Can we do better? Can we do more broad based lift all boats things?’” said Dan Krassner, President of Integrity Florida.

Americans for Prosperity sponsored the report. The national group is funded by the conservative Koch Brothers. Krassner says Integrity Florida is a nonpartisan group that takes donations based on the mission not politics.

Governor Rick Scott is using his bully pulpit to champion a sales tax break on manufacturing equipment.

To bolster the cause Scott invited manufacturers to the state capitol Tuesday. There are more than 17-thousand manufacturing companies in Florida employing 300-thousand people. Scott says the tax break would help manufactures create thousands of jobs.

“When we eliminate this tax it makes us more competitive with other states so we will have more manufacturing jobs,” said Scott.

The cost of the tax break is 140 million dollars and is in Scott’s 74 billion dollar budget proposal. The largest recommended spending package in Florida history.

The number of repeat offenders in Florida prisons is falling rapidly. The lowest crime rate in Florida in 41 years is probably the main reason for the good news, but as Whitney Ray tells us, a focus on work release programs is also helping to keep ex-cons on the straight and narrow.

Greeting customers with a smile, Eric Smallridge is thankful for every day he breaths free air.

“I thought that I would be incarcerated into my 40s,” said Eric.

Eric is a manager in training at GoodWill but just last year he was serving time for two DUI Manslaughter felonies.

In 2002 Eric struck a car and killed two girls. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison, but after the victim’s families asked for leniency his time was shortened.

“Being that I was a first time offender I was allowed to take advantage of the work release program and in doing that Goodwill has a policy where they try to help the disadvantaged or disabled members of the community,” said Eric.

Landing a job can be the difference between a life of crime and a future on the right side of the law. That’s why the state is constantly improving its work release program.

At a news conference Monday Department of Corrections Secretary Michael Crews announced the number of felons who committee new crimes, or the recidivism rate, has fallen from 33 percent to 27.

“We are making some progress with them right now through the programs and education that we have so that when they get out the first thing they have to do is not recommitted crime, but they can go get a job,” said Crews.

For every one percent drop in the recidivism rate the state saves 19 million dollars, and society gains taxpayers. The declining rate of reoffending felons has saved the state 44 million dollars. It could also mean bonuses for some Florida correctional officers.

Governor Rick Scott has just released the largest spending plan in the state’s history. Scott’s 74 billion dollar budget includes 30 billion dollars for heath care services and entitlements, but as Whitney Ray tells us, it leaves out a Medicaid expansion optional under Obamacare.

On the campaign trail Governor Rick Scott ran as a Tallahassee outsider, a darling of the Tea Party. But that was 2010. Now, Scott is proposing the largest budget in Florida history.

“Our Florida’s Family First Budget is 74.2 billion dollars,” said Scott at his budget unveiling Thursday.

It’s full of teacher raises and merit increases for state workers.

“There will always be more worthy causes for government spending than funding available to support them,” said Scott.

But Scott has to draw the line somewhere and that somewhere appears to be Obamacare.

“There is still the question of the optional expansion of the state’s Medicaid program which was left up to us by the Supreme Court. Today is not the day for that decision,” said Scott.

The federal government is offering to pay 90 percent of the expansion and Florida’s cost over the next decade could be as low as a billion dollars, but Scott left it out of his budget, while legislative leaders continue to crunch the numbers.

Democrats say the governor and Republican lawmakers are dragging their feet.

“Thus far we’ve talked about the cost of Medicaid expansion without talking about the benefit side of it, which seems impractical,” said Senate Minority Leaders Chris Smith.

While the partisan bickering continues, 900-thousand Floridians who would be covered under the expansion are watching Tallahassee waiting on the outcome.

Legislative leaders may move forward with a Medicaid expansion without the governor’s consent but then Scott could veto it. But if lawmakers decide against the expansion, Scott wouldn’t have a say-so in the expansion.

Alexandria, VA – Bob Williams, President of State Budget Solutions (SBS), a national nonprofit organization advocating for fundamental reform of state budgets and pensions, released the following statement regarding Florida Governor Rick Scott’s proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2014 that he unveiled yesterday.

“Gov. Scott’s proposed budget increases state spending by $4 billion, making it the largest budget in Florida’s history. But even with the excessive spending this budget includes, it fails to pay off its $631 million in unemployment insurance loan from the federal government and doesn’t put a dent in the massive unfunded pension liabilities.

Gov. Scott’s spending spree is reckless and dangerous to the Florida economy. A more responsible approach would be to set aside a reserve to have in the event of federal budget cuts. In 2011, Florida received 37% of its total budget from the federal government, an increase from 28% in 2008. Florida will be lucky if, after the federal budget cuts this year, the state still receives 30% of its total budget from the federal government. Saving now will minimize the impact on Floridians later.

Now is not the time for Florida to spend more than it ever has in state history. State Budget Solutions urges Florida’s leaders to address the state’s debt, proactively plan for future cuts and use available funds to address the state’s pension issues.”

Governor Rick Scott today unveiled his budget for the year that starts in July. He’s proposing one point two billion more for schools, as well as bonuses for state employees and more spending on universities. However, even with the increase for schools, per student spending will be lower than the four years before Scott took office.

Rick Scott began his budget unveiling by applauding an improving economy, comparing it to the four years before he took office. “Florida lost 825 thousand jobs”, says Governor.

Scott proposes spending 68 hundred dollars per student. That’s a four hundred dollar increase in  per student funding. Still the 68 hundred is less than the four years before he took office. “This billion dollar investment sustains last year’s billion dollar investment in K-12”, says Governor Scott.

While per  student funding is still lagging, this budget sets a records for spending in K-12. 20 thousand new students will hit classrooms next year eating a lot of the new money. Scott wants to give teachers an across the board 25 hundred dollar raise. Teachers say it is better than nothing. “It’s a beginning we’re way behind I think where we should be in public education”, says David Worrell a Leon County teacher.

Scott would cut the state work force by three thousand, using the savings to offer one time 12 hundred dollar bonuses. Police unions say the Governor’s plan doesn’t go far enough. “They have taken a five percent cut if you add the contribution to the retirement system plus the two percent payroll tax. So we would like to see an increase to their base salary”, says Matt Puckett, Florida Police Benevolent Association.

And when it comes to tuition. “I don’t think tuition should be going up”, says Governor Scott. Universities say a proposed 118 million in new cash will keep them from seeking tuition hikes. “That’s a bargain the presidents and Board of Governors are willing to make”, says Bernie Machen, UF President.

Scott also wants to cut taxes for manufacturing equipment. He says it’s a way to keep the economy humming.

There is new hope tonight, that political mudslinging in Florida will be toned down by the next election. As Whitney Ray tells us, Florida’s House Speaker is backing a plan to eliminate Committees of Continual Existence… which are basically campaign slush funds that help candidates sling mud, while keeping their names off the ads.

Every other November Floridians are bombarded with negative campaign ads. In state and local races, the committees creating the ads are normally funded by Committees of Continual Existence or CCEs. Confusing? Dan Krassner with Integrity Florida explains.

“CCEs are essentially a money pump. They can raise money, but they have to play a shell game that almost looks like money laundering to transfer funds elsewhere to be spent in campaigns,” said Krassner.

There more than 700 CCEs in Florida. They fatten the pockets of politicians and fill our commercial breaks with mud slinging. But that could all change this legislative session. House Speaker Will Weatherford is vowing to clean up Florida’s elections, no matter how complex the task.

“I had a lot of people tell me that campaign finance laws are too complex and it’s too hard to change them and many people have tried, but we’ve decided that complexity can’t be an excuse for inaction,” said Weatherford.

These are the campaign mailers I received during the last election cycle. In this hand are flyers from state and local elections and in this hand are attack ads from federal races. If the bill passes, many of these local attack ads may stop coming because politicians would have to put their names on them but there’s no fix in sight for congressional and presidential ads.

That’s because the US Supreme Court ruled Super PACs, which are essentially CCEs for federal races are completely legit, and nothing the state legislature does can stop them.

Beside’s eliminating CCEs the House bill would also raise the personal campaign contribution limit from five-hundred dollars to 10-thousand per election. Which means a person could give a candidate 10-thousand dollars in a primary race and 10-thousand more in the general election.

An orange tie is the new mascot of Florida business.

Enterprise Florida unveiled the new logo and the state’s first ever business marketing campaign today in Tallahassee. The campaign’s aim is to attract more businesses to the Sunshine State to create jobs, but so far the only jobs the campaign is creating are in Tennessee. I asked Enterprise Florida President Gray Swoope why he and board members paid 200-thousand dollars to an out-of-state company to research Florida’s business brand.

Reporter: Are you saying there weren’t any Florida companies that could have done this research?
Swoope: No, absolutely not. Again we went through a process of who was the best at doing our research that had a track record of doing that and doing it for companies that know how we operate.

“Florida has many qualified public relation, marketing and advertising firms right here in our state but unfortunately Enterprise Florida did not use the state’s official procurement system and instead signed a contract with a Tennessee based firm that was even the high bidder,” said Krassner.

Swoope says even though the initial contract was with a Tennessee based firm, Enterprise Florida will spend millions with PR companies in Florida to promote the new business brand.

A movement to keep the market open for second hand ticket sellers is hitting Florida.

A bill filed in Tallahassee would secure a persons right to resell tickets they’ve bought for a sporting events or concerts. Right now some artists and sports teams are moving to paperless tickets, which can only be claimed by the buyer, using a credit card and photo-ID. Chris Grimm, a spokesman with Fan Freedom, says paperless tickets limit a buyers resell options.

“When fans buy tickets they own them. They are their property and they have the right to do with those tickets as they choose. They can give them away. They can sell them. They can donate them to charity,” said Grimm.

Supporters of paperless tickets say they protect buyers because you can’t loose them. They’re also environmentally friendly. Michael Marion, President of the Fans First Coalition issued this statement.

“Artists, teams and venues select paperless tickets when they want to offer fans an opportunity to buy a great ticket at a great price. Paperless tickets restrict scalpers from ripping off fans. StubHub, their lobbying front group and other resellers should focus their energy fighting scalpers, not the technologies that prevent scalpers from getting tickets in the first place.” said Marion.

Florida is reaping the benefits of yet another mortgage settlement.

Last year Florida cut an eight billion dollar deal with the nation’s five largest banks over shady lending practices. Today Attorney General Pam Bondi announced another settlement. This time Florida’s cut is 8.6 million dollars. Bondi’s office headed up the investigation that led to the settlement with Jacksonville based Lender Processing Services over its robo-signing practices.
“All these robo-signings that were going on, they were absolutely ridiculous at the height of our foreclosure crisis and they are being held accountable. We are very, very pleased about the settlement and Florida gets a very large portion of that money,” said Bondi.

The total settlement is 120 million dollars. It’s being divided among 46 states and the District of Columbia.

He’s scheduled a 2 PM Thursday News Conference. Here’s his snazzy graphic:

State legislative leaders are vowing to pass the first comprehensive ethics reform bill in Florida in more than three decades. As Whitney Ray tells us, the push for reform is being spearheaded by a new government watchdog group.

They’ve only been in business for one year, but already this dynamic duo has a chance to make major changes to state ethics laws.

“Florida is leading the country in corruption and it’s time to crack down,” said Dan Krassner.

Krassner and Ben Willcox created Integrity Florida to make government more transparent. It appears to be working. At a pre-legislative session forum in the state capitol Wednesday, House Speaker Will Weatherford sang the groups praises.

“I though Integrity Florida’s report talking about 75 percent of the money spent on campaigns today is outside of the campaign, is eye opening,” said Weatherford.

Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz have made ethics reform a priority, vowing to pass the first comprehensive reform package in Florida in 36 years.

“We don’t believe that public office ought to be an opportunity for private gain,” said Gaetz/

This 52 page reform bill has already passed one committee in the senate. Krassner says there’s lot of good stuff inside, but there’s also provisions hurting the cause.

The bill allows law enforcement agencies to pass leads on to the state ethic commission. It allows the state to garnish wages of people who don’t pay their ethics fines. But it also gives politicians caught lying on their financial disclosure forms 30 days to fix the mistake.

“There are a few areas that need to be cleaned up that essentially give some politicians a get-out-of-jail free card and those provisions should be taken out of the bill,” said Krassner.

Had the change been in place in 2010, Former State Senator Jim Norman could have simply added this half million dollar home to a form and avoid the ethics commission.

Legislative leaders are also vowing to shut the revolving door between the legislature and lobbyists, after finding out that the state’s last two house speakers have joined up to open their own Tallahassee lobbying firm.

Today Republican Legislative leaders told reporters six hours is too long to wait to cast a ballot. That’s how long some people waited to vote in Florida in the 2012 presidential election. Voting rights groups say a 2011 state law that shortened early voting from 14 to eight days is to blame for the long lines. Senate President Don Gaetz is looking at expanding early voting during the upcoming legislative session.

“What I think the Senate will look at is understanding that Florida and Florida counties are very diverse and we can’t force a one-size fits all template down on the heads of people who live in different places and live in different circumstances,” said Gaetz.

Gaetz was in the legislature when early voting was cut nearly in half and Governor Rick Scott signed and defended the reduction in days bill. Now both Republican leaders are open to restoring at least some of the days.

One year ago today 11 people died in a deadly pile up on I-75 near Gainesville. A mixture of fog and smoke from a nearby wildfire created the dangerous conditions that lead to the crash. As Whitney Ray tells us, the tragedy is shaping new policies at the Florida Highway Patrol.

The charred frames of trailers and the twisted metal of cars are a somber reminder of the tragedy on I-75. One year ago, on a stretch of interstate near Gainesville, 11 people died after fog and smoke from a nearby wildfire made it nearly impossible for drivers to see.

The Florida Highway Patrol closed the road, but by 3:30 in the morning conditions improved. The interstate was reopened over the objections of at least one trooper.

An investigated concluded poor communications among troopers contributed to the crash. FHP responded saying nothing they could have done would have changed the outcome.

And FHP is remaining quiet on the terrible anniversary. A spokesperson for the patrol tells me they’re not commenting oncamera because of possible future lawsuits. But actions speak louder than words and FHP has already taken significant steps.

Each troop now has a watch supervisor in charge of monitoring conditions and will conduct annual reviews of its road closing procedures.

These billboards are part of FHP’s low visibility campaign, but maybe the biggest awareness weapon of them all is the tragedy itself.

At a rest stop near the state capital we met Ray Watkins, a retired race car driver from England, where fog is a constant problem.

“I was surprised they didn’t have all the signs out, very surprised. You won’t let that happen anymore, will ya?” said Watkins.

Tuesday Ray loaded up his car with friends and family at his vacation home near Gainesville. They headed toward north, avoiding I-75. There are even more changes in the works. The Florida Department of Transportation has money to put digital warning signs in dangerous areas. There are also talks or putting closed circuit TV cameras on roadways to monitor conditions.