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State pensions aren’t the only retirement plans raising concerns in Florida. The Leroy Collins Institute released a report today, claiming city and county pension plans are heading toward disaster. The report shows growing health care costs are having a huge impact on retirement costs. FSU Professor Carol Weissert contributed to the study and says the economy has exposed city and county pensions as broken systems.

“The cities have these obligations at the very time when they’re having their revenues constrained so it’s a double-whammy on them,” said Weissert.

In the report called “Tough Choices’ the Collins Institutes suggest more transparency of local plans, an increase in the retirement age and defined contributions as a few ways to improve the current systems.

With the release of his budget, Governor Rick Scott drew a line in the sand. Now it’s up to the Republican-led legislature to choose to stay on Scott’s side and pass his bold spending plan, or as Whitney Ray tells us, stand up against the layoffs, education cuts, and tax breaks and spark a GOP civil war.

With the GOP in control of the House, Senate and the Governor’s office… there was little room for dissent until this.

“Everything in this budget is basically what I believe in,” said Scott.

Monday Governor Rick Scott released his bold budget proposal: eliminating 86-hundred state jobs, reducing school funding by three billion dollars, and cutting taxes at a time when revenues are already low.

It’s now up to lawmakers to produce their budget. They say Scott’s suggestions are brazen. Dissenting viewpoints are at a whisper right now.

“I’ve already heard from many of my Republican colleges, not Democratic colleges, but Republican colleges that are having a hard time swallowing some of the proposals,” said Senator Mike Fasano.

“Governor Bush had Republican legislatures as well and very rarely if ever did his budget go all the way through,” said Representative Erik Fresen.

Monday night Scott met with Senate leaders and asked them to pass his budget. But the legislature isn’t likely to give the governor everything he wants. If Scott doesn’t like their budget he can veto it, but then it goes right back to lawmakers.

And if they have the votes, the can override the governor’s veto. There’s also some confusion over the governor’s proposal for the legislature to pass a two year spending plan. Right now no one knows if the legislature wants to look that far into the future.

Lawmakers want to shut down a state-funded group home accused of encouraging its mentally disabled residents to have sex. The accusations against the Human Development Center in Seffner, near Tampa, are from 2008. State Senator Ronda Storms investigated the claims and says caregivers would send male patients into rooms, give them condoms, and shut the door. Storms says the Agency for Persons With Disabilities, the agency in charge of oversite, was slow to respond to the sex scandal.

“Did they do any onsite immediate inspections? Did they do any announced visits? Did they go do any monitoring? The answer to that question is, no,” said Storms.

Random visits by state investigators have been increased at the home, but lawmakers want the state funding eliminated and the patients moved.

Legislation to stop local governments from enacting tougher restrictions on gun purchases is shooting through the legislative process. The legislation would create a five million dollar fine for city and county governments that pass ordinances to trump state and federal gun laws. The bill passed a house and a senate committee today. NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer says the bill is meant to send a message to cities and counties.

“Nobody wants to put local government officials in jail. Nobody wants to rip huge amounts of money out of county and city coffers, but it has to be a deterrent. If they want to break the law then they should have to pay like everybody else. They are not above the law,” said Hammer.

The legislation is the first of three high profile bills aimed at protecting gun rights. One of the bills would prohibit doctors from asking their patients if they own a gun. Another would allow people with conceal carry permits to take carry their guns in more public place, like college campuses.

The governor says he will cut the tax on corporations by almost half in an effort to lure more companies to the state.

“They know they have a governor that is going to sit down and try to solve problems if they have any problems in the state,” Scott said. “That’s going to give a great incentive for people to come here rather than any place in the country.”

Florida ranks 15th in corporate taxes, and state Senator Eleanor Sobel says low taxes aren’t what companies are interested in most.

“We do know that the first question that corporations ask is “tell me about your education system,” Sobel said.

Even the State Senate’s budget chairman, a conservative from the Governor’s own party, is skeptical.

“I haven’t seen some of the details of the proposals he’s put together, so until I’ve had a chance to read them, understand them, talk to him a little bit about it in detail, it’s kind of hard to comment on it,” Sen. J.D. Alexander (R-Lakeland) said.

Lawmakers, not the Governor, will have the final say.

Think of the governor’s plan as a roadmap. The only problem here is that there are 160 other drivers and not all of them want to go the same way.

Activists point out Florida is already one of the lowest taxed states in the country.

“The notion that somehow we can cut five billion dollars out of this budget is just very unreasonable,” Karen Woodall, with the Center for Economic and Fiscal Policy, said.

Scott made history when he chose to unveil the spending plan outside the capitol. Now lawmakers will decide if different is also good.

An Afghanistan-bound soldier and his wife got a state Senate committee to put the breaks on sweeping sink hole insurance changes today. The changes would not require companies to offer the coverage. The couple told a story of claims being denied by USAA Insurance. Lobbyists for the company quickly hustled the couple out of the room. They declined to talk with us, but the committee delayed a planned vote, and  Senator Mike Fasano, an opponent of the changes, says it is due to the story told by the couple.

“I believe the testimony today, not from the insurance industry, not from the public adjusters, not from the sinkhole attorneys, but from the little guy and gal, the homeowner, that testimony today I believe forced my members, and even probably the chairman, the sponsor of the bill, to take a second look at what we are doing. It’s wrong what we’re doing, what they’re doing, anyway,” Fasano (R-New Port Richey) said.

A vote is expected in two weeks. Sink hole coverage claims have quadrupled in recent years, and sponsor Garrett Richter believes some companies will offer the coverage even if it is not mandated.

Ebooks are the wave of the future in Florida education… The only question is when will the state make the switch from hardcover textbooks. The state Board of Education is trying to speed up the process. As Whitney Ray tells us, the board wants to get rid of textbooks and go all digital by 2015.

Rob Weissert is an avid reader. He’s known for reading five books at any given time. Before he bought an IPad that meant hauling around lots of paperbacks.

“If I get Enterprise Florida’s 2010 economic indicators report and I want to switch from that to a Malcolm Gladwell book or Jeffery Toobin’s “The Nine”, I can do that instantly,” said Rob

One office over Katie Hayden uses a Kindle to store her novels.

“I find it tougher to go pick up the paperback books I was reading in lieu of the Kindle,” said Katie.

Both Rob and Katie work for Florida TaxWatch. The nonprofit research group advocates a switch from textbooks to ebooks as a way to improve education in Florida schools.

“The fact is we all know technology is improving by the day, so the idea is these books can be updated more quickly and can be better tailored to individual elements,” said Rob.

The switch may also save the state money in the long run. During last months Board of Education meeting members acted with a sense of urgency over the possibility of a transition to ebooks.

“Tell us how fast it could be done technically and tell us what it would cost,” said Board Member John Padget.

Schools get new textbooks every six years. Science books are scheduled to be ordered later this year. The board of education may delay the order if a move to ebooks is more cost effective.

A report on the cost effectiveness of switching to ebooks will be delivered at the Board’s February 15th meeting. If the board finds the move feasible they’ll ask lawmakers to pass legislation to begin the transition. There may also be 51 million Race to the Top dollars to help speed us the move.

It’s been a rollercoaster week for the people who decided how much you pay for utilities. Wednesday Governor Rick Scott withdrew the nominations of four of the five Public Service Commissioners appointed by his predecessor Charlie Crist. Thursday Scott told reporters the commissioner could reapply for their jobs.

“Continue in their positions, but I’m going to be going through quickly and get through all the appointments but I’m just doing like everything else. I’m going through a logical process and be as methodical as I can,” said Scott.

Scott acted quickly. Late this afternoon he reappointed the commissioners.

Florida leads the nation in the number of lethal pills prescribed by unscrupulous doctors. So called pill mills, set up in store fronts, are overprescribing potent drugs such as oxycodone. Today, Attorney General Pam Bondi launched a crackdown on over prescribers, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, new rules to help shut down the operations have been delayed.

Store fronts like this one, in just two counties, Palm Beach and Broward, prescribed nine million pills in one six month period last year, prompting Attorney General Pam Bondi to create a four point plan to shut the shysters down.

“Our state has become the destination for distributors and abusers, and we have got to stop it,” said Bondi.

Bondi brought together law enforcement and prosecutors to urge cooperation.

On the panel, a Palm Beach mother who’s college age son overdosed on otherwise legal pain killers.

“A parent never gets over the loss of a child. You just don’t,” said Karen Perry.

A database designed to keep track of who is prescribing what has been mired in a lack of funding and a contract dispute. Prosecutors are also being hampered by a delay in implementing new Board of Medicine. Those rules would make it easier to shut down over prescribers.

A new law says lawmakers must review the rules first.

Special counsel Dave Aronberg says the lax rules have created what he calls drug tourism.

“There are more pain clinics in Broward County then there are McDonald’s in Broward County. Same thing in Palm Beach County. It shows you the extent of this problem,” said Aronberg.

There are 1167 licensed pain clinics in Florida, with many of them apparently dispensing more pain than pain relief. An average of seven people per day die in Florida from overdosing on otherwise legal drugs. Police says 38 active investigations are underway. The new rules, as well as new legislation, are expected to be approved by May.

The state’s largest police union says Governor Rick Scott is breaking a campaign promise just four weeks into his term. In a video being circulated by the Police Benevolent Association, Scott denies claims that he planned to cut retirement benefits for police officers. This week Scott released a plan that would force officers to work 12 extra years before retiring, but as Whitney Ray tells us, Scott says his actions don’t contradict his campaign promises.

This is video of Rick Scott on the campaign trail in October, responding to allegations that if elected he would cut retirement benefits.

“I’ve never said I would cut pension benefits for anyone; not state workers, not policemen, not firemen,” said Scott in a October 2010 Campaign Video.

Scott goes on to say state workers should contribute to their pension plans…

“What we are going to have to require state workers to do, only state workers to do, is contribute a nominal sum to their retirement,” Scott added in the video.

But most police officers aren’t state workers. They work for local governments, but Scott’s asking all to contribute. He also wants to cut their pensions by a third.

Right now a police officer can retire after 25 years and receive 75 percent of his or her salary. Under Scott’s plan they’d have to work 37 years to get the same benefit.

Scott says his plan doesn’t contradict his campaign promise.

Scott: It will be more like a 401K plan.
Reporter: But is your plan today different from what you were suggesting on the campaign trail?
Scott: No, No.”

Five Florida law enforcement officers have been killed in the past two weeks. Officers see their retirement benefits as a small reward for the risk they take daily.

Another reasons police officers argue their retirement benefits should be kept in tact is their live expectancy. Officers live on average 66 years. That’s nine less than the rest of us.

And if officers have to work longer their life expectancy will drop even more, and more of Florida’s police force will be over the hill. Scott says the changes he wants to make to the state pension plan are only to make it stronger so people can bank on having their benefits decades from now.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi took a moment to remember the sacrifice of a Holmes County correctional officer killed in a manhunt yesterday.

“He was murdered in the line of duty apprehending a murder suspect so if we could just all take a moment of silence,” said Bondi.

Colonel Greg Malloy was shot and killed while assisting sheriff’s deputies in a manhunt for a suspect wanted for murder. Both Malloy and the murder suspect were killed in the shootout. Bondi asked attendees of an early morning Tallahassee news conference to take a few moments to remember Malloy. Florida Police Benevolent Association spokesman Matt Puckett says 2011 is getting off to a bad start for law enforcement.

“In the last two weeks we’ve had five officers killed in the line of duty. It just seems like you have folks who are just refusing to go back to prison. They call it suicide by cop and I guess they’d rather take people down with them,” said Puckett.

Two weeks ago, two Miami-Dade officers were killed serving an arrest warrant. Last week, two St. Petersburg police officers also serving a warrant met the same fate. Last year nine Florida officers were killed in the line of duty; five weeks into 2011 and the state is already over half way to reaching that number again.

Four weeks on the job and only 35 percent of Floridians approve of Governor Rick Scott’s performance. 22 percent disapprove and 43 say they don’t have enough information about the newcomer to decide. As Whitney Ray tells us, despite the low job approval ratings most Floridians are optimistic about the next four years.

Governor Rick Scott’s job approval rating was low as he spoke to a group of wounded veterans Wednesday, but you wouldn’t know it by the smile on the newcomer’s face.

Only 36 percent of Floridians think Scott is doing a good job, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. The low number is likely a symptom of his newcomer status because 43 percent of the voters polled said they didn’t have enough information to judge his performance. Scott’s doesn’t seem concerned.

Scott: I haven’t seen it
Reporter: Do you plan to look at it?
Scott: I don’t know.

Voters were asked 28 questions mostly about the governor’s plans to cut spending and layoff state workers.
46 percent say layoffs are a bad idea. But two out of three like Scott’s plan to make government employees contribute to their retirement. More than half like the fact that Scott cut his salary to one dollar but only one in four thinks he can fulfill his campaign promises.
They include creating 700-thousand jobs, cutting property tax by 19 percent, and lowering spending to 2004 levels. Pollster Peter Brown says Scott has plenty of time to make good.

“Governors who tackle things up front, you know, may be better off,” said Brown.

What matters is how you finish, not how you begin. Scott has four years to prove himself, and according to the poll 56 percent are optimistic about the rest of his term. The number one concern of the 11-hundred voters polled was the state budget. 94 percent say it’s a serious obstacle facing the new governor.

A Florida correctional officer who risked her life to save a coworker’s is being honored at the state capitol.

In 2009 Osceola County Corrections Officer Reeshemah Taylor rushed into a jail cell where an inmate had stolen a gun from a guard and was holding him hostage. Taylor fought the gun out of his hand and saved her coworkers lives. She says she was just doing her job.

“I knew his background, I knew what he was capable of, and I knew that if I was in that situation what I would do and I figured that he was going to try and kill every single one of us that day and I wasn’t ready to die that day so I did what I had to do,” said Taylor.

In total 11 Florida officers were nominated for the award. All received plaques for their bravery. The awards ceremony was underway as news of the shooting

Governor Rick Scott gave 200-thousand dollars left over from his inaugural celebration to wounded soldiers.

The Wounded Warrior’s Project out of Jacksonville received the check during a reception at the Governor’s Mansion today. The money will go to help Afghanistan and Iraq veterans suffering from combat stress and the families of wounded soldiers facing financial problems.

“Anybody that gives any money away or raises money for anything, the most important thing is does it change something, does something really happen afterwards and you can just see that lives were changed through Wounded Warriors. So I feel real honored to be a part of raising money for that,” said Scott.

Scott served in the Navy but joked that he was nowhere near gunfire. After the check presentation he personally thanked the troops for this service.