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The unemployment rate for black males is 150 percent higher than white males in Florida.

This is one of many statistics the Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys would like to change. This council met in Tallahassee today and is joining forces with local churches and nonprofit groups to help young black men succeed in life. The council is promoting higher education, proper heath care and mentoring programs. Council Chairman Anthony McCoy said the election of the country’s first African-American president has created more opportunity for many young black men.

“Things have really changed a lot. Opportunities are there in some ways that it was not there before. But the reality of it is, there’s a segment of the population that still needs some assistance and that’s where we come in,” said McCoy.

Apostle Jordan Williams with Trinity Deliverance Temple in Marianna attended today’s meeting to talk about reducing the recidivism rate and helping former felons find jobs and enroll in school. Williams says it’s been hard to find money to help the youth.

“Give the a record at an early age that’s going to hinder them for the rest of their lives, because first of all now in this day, it’s hard for them to get into college now, especially with a felony record and it’s hard to when they get a record and they just give them a fine make them pay a fine they don’t have jobs,” said Williams.

The council has been meeting for two and a half years. It will release a report card on the status of black males in Florida next February.

The open season on Burmese pythons is being extended past its October 31st end date. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is also exploring a ban on the breeding and import of the snakes. As Whitney Ray tells us, only six snakes have been captured since the search began 18 days ago.

There’s a war on Burmese pythons and the odds are in the snakes favor, for now. A seven member python posse began hunting the snakes in mid-July. So far only six have been caught. Governor Charlie Crist met with The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to discuss further action.

“If six have already been taken and this is the more difficult time in which to apprehend them I’m sure the commission will make a well informed thoughtful determination once October 31st gets here,” said Crist.

The governor and the commission agreed to extend the search in hopes the cooler temperatures will bring more snakes into the open. The state is also exploring a ban on the import and breeding of Burmese pythons.

“We are looking at internet sales, prohibiting internet sales, looking at what kind of industry is in Florida now, where these snakes are sold, how they are produced and how they come into the state,” said Colonel Julie Jones with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Florida’s Secretary of the Department Environmental Protection Mike Sole said the snakes are jeopardizing Everglade’s restoration.

“Here we have these introduced species that are further disrupting the ecological balance of the Everglades as we try to get the water right,” said Sole.

But with a 100-thousand Burmese pythons and just seven hunters, getting rid of the snakes will be a long battle. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is considering allowing more hunters to participate in the snake hunts.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is taking on several hot button issues.

The FWC is in the news this week for its new fishing fees. Last month the commission banned freshwater turtle hunting. In mid-July the commission licensed seven herpetologists to hunt Burmese pythons on state lands in south Florida. Governor Charlie Crist visited the commission Wednesday to encourage the wildlife officers and talk about ramping up the python hunt.

“What I do know is we have a duty to take action to protect the people so that’s why this program has been initiated to look out for the health safety and welfare of the people of Florida and we’ll continue to do whatever we need to do to protect them,” said Crist.

Crist said news of a toddler strangled to death by a Burmese python early last month motivated him to rid the state of the snakes.

A legislative committee with the power to remove former House Speaker Ray Sansom from office is delaying a decision. Members decided to wait until Sansom’s criminal trial is over before moving forward with the ethics complaint filed against the former speaker. As Whitney Ray tells us, members may be a little reluctant to discipline one of their own.

A special investigator researching an ethics complaint against former House Speaker Ray Sansom found plenty. This report is full of emails, financial records and even a job application for a position Sansom helped create.

“On June 10th Rep Sansom sent Dr. Richburg a three page draft proposal of a performance contract for Vice President of external affairs,” said Special Investigator Stephen Khan.

Sansom took the administrative job at a local college on the same day he was sworn in as speaker. Sansom faces criminal charges for funneling six million state dollars to build an airplane hanger for a political contributor and then lying about it.

Sansom resigned as speaker once word about the college job began to spread. Now his reluctant peers will have to decide if the former speaker should be kicked out of the house.

“We all have a heavy heart and I don’t think anyone of us want to be here,” said committee member Rich Glorioso.

The house committee agreed to decide Sansom’s legislative future at a later date. Chairman Bill Galvano said it’s not fair to hold hearings since the key witnesses like the college president and the key contributor aren’t talking until the criminal trial is over.

“We need to have certain witnesses like a Richburg, like an Odem, like a Sansom or at least give them an opportunity to present their side of the story,” said Galvano.

The committee will meet again on October 5th, a week after Sansom’s criminal trial starts. While the committee is waiting legislative staff will select an independent council to work as a prosecutor in the Sansom hearings.

A man who blocked legislation to repeal the class size amendment against powerful forces, fought mandatory seat belt use and received threats for blocking legislation to insert a feeding tube in Terri SCHIAVO, is being mourned tonight.  State Senator Jim King died at age 69 from pancreatic cancer. He was first elected to the state house from Jacksonville in 1986, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, has been a voice of reason ever since.

When the governor called a special session on abortion in 1989, and nothing happened. King was quick with a quote.

“What we have is a Pandora’s Box and we’ve opened it and we’ve got to live with it,” King said.

As lawmakers cranked out hundreds of bills on the final day a few years later, he was a voice of caution.

“We have passed things that we said, ‘well, I didn’t know that was in the bill. Let’s not do this again,” King said.

When then governor Jeb Bush wanted the class size amendment repealed, King, who had risen to senate president,  fought back saying the same voters who passed class size amendment were smart enough to also have elected him.

“We all swore an oath to accept the responsibility of carrying out the will of the voters,” King said.

And when Terri Schiavo made national news, King ended up on a wanted poster for blocking attempts to reinsert her feeding tube. His only comment:

“It’s a nice likeness,” he said.

King often joked about his size to his political advantage, including blocking seatbelt use.

“I will admit that there are some cars, particularly small cars, that don’t fit me,” he said.

The Jacksonville senator could also be persuaded to change his mind when facts compelled him and he would do it with humor.

“I find myself between the dog and the fire hydrant,” King said.

Jim King will long be remembered for his compassion and for making the work here fun, even when it wasn’t.

King served for 23 legislative sessions. Governor Charlie Crist will call a special election to fill the Jacksonville Senate seat soon.

The hallway on the capitol’s fourth floor was lined with state troopers as lawmakers and family entered the House Chamber to honor Jacksonville Senator Jim King. King died of pancreatic cancer at age 69. The ceremony was attended by Governor’s past and present, union presidents, lobbyists and candidates. Senate President Jeff Atwater says King was best known for his humor and his ability to find compromise.

“Jim encouraged the full and free expression of opinion, appreciated the richness of honest debate, and refused to preside with a heavy hand,” Atwater said. “His greatest satisfaction came from change he could affect in others. For Jim, it was less a matter of what could be written into law, than what could be inspired in people.”

King was an unabashed booster for Florida State University. His ashes will be interred on the FSU campus in the building named for him in the medical school.

Car dealers across the state are coming off a record breaking week. The Cash for Clunkers program sent car sales soaring, but now the program is out of gas. Car sales are one of the biggest tax generators and as Whitney Ray tells us, revenue collected from the program could help the state out of a three year budget deficit.

At Tallahassee Ford Lincoln Mercury it took no time for the Cash for Clunkers program to go from zero to 60.

“We sold out of most carlines that qualified for the clunker program.”

But now Cash for Clunkers is out of gas, burning through a billion dollars in less than a week.

“All the dealers are operating on the pretense that the Senate will pass this extra two billion dollars,” said Mickey Antkinson, new car sales manager at Tallahassee Ford.

If Congress votes to extend the program, Florida stands to gain millions in sales tax collections. Car sales account for one in five sales tax dollars in the state’s bank account.

Before the program kicked off tax collections from car sales fell 20 percent. Rob Weissert a spokesman for Florida TaxWatch said a boost in car sales will bring in millions of revenue dollars for the state.

“Auto sales and accessories are the 3rd largest category of sales tax revenue collections and sales tax revenue makes up around 75 percent of the general revenue the state collects every year,” said Weissert.

Car dealerships also employee 75-thousand Floridians.

“The economy depends on them. Their local areas depend on them and their employees depend on the jobs, so this shot in the arm is important, said Ted Smith, President of the Florida Auto Dealers Association

The success of the program is putting pressure on the US Senate to pass an extension quickly. There’s concern that car dealers have already handed out more than a billion dollars in rebates. Dealerships say an extension may be needed simply to pay all the current claims.

Florida workforce offices will share three million dollars in Federal money to help people whose unemployment benefits are running out. Nationwide, a million-and-a-half people are expected to exhaust unemployment compensation in September. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the money couldn’t come at a better time for Florida.

14 thousand Floridians have already exhausted all of their unemployment benefits. Davin Bowers is about to become part of that statistic.

“I’ve got one more check, actually,” Bowers said. “One more check and then it’s out.”

What do you do after that?

“I don’t know. I guess keep coming to Workforce and looking,” he said.

Most unemployed are eligible for up to 26 weeks of state paid benefits and up to another 53 weeks of federal extended benefits.

By the end of the year, one of every four unemployed Floridians will have exhausted every bit of unemployment available.

Statewide, almost a million people are looking for work. Renard Harden has some time before his benefits run out, but, with no job prospects, he’s concerned.

“I’d rather be working. It’s a help. It’s not going to pay all the bills but it’s a help,” Harden said.

Florida just received 3 million dollars in Federal money to help people whose benefits are gone. Kim Moore of Workforce Plus says the cash will pay for one on one counseling.

“The coach will look at your specific situation, help develop a plan of action as far as where you go next, look at the strengths that you bring to the table, assesses the weaknesses that you probably need to work on,” Moore said.

Counselors can expect to be busy. 22 thousand Floridians are expected to run out of benefits each and every month through the end of the year.

The maximum unemployment benefit is three hundred dollars per week, paid every other week.

Everyday thousand of Floridians walk into the pharmacy expecting one drug only to walk out with something different. It’s called drug switching, and as Whitney Ray tells us, it’s perfectly legal in Florida but medical professionals are seeking change.

When Rose Delaney came down with Pneumonia her doctor wrote her a prescription for a powerful antibiotic. But when she went to get the prescription filled, her pharmacist gave her a weaker drug.

“I was so ill at the time I was just thinking I’m just not understanding this,” said Delaney.

Rose was the victim of drug switching. A practice started by insurance companies to save money by switching original drugs to cheaper generic or sometimes a completely different drug. Since Rose’s insurance wouldn’t pay for the stronger drug, she had to take the weaker antibiotic and her pneumonia stayed with her for three months.

“I actually even fractured a rib because my cough had gotten so bad,” said Delaney.

Drug switching can be even more dangerous for patients suffering from Mental illnesses or neurological disorders.

Neurologist Lucas Koberda says the medication he prescribes his patients is so specific, a slight change in the chemical makeup can cause major problems.

“Even generic brands between themselves they may differ a lot especially for the patients with epilepsy it’s very crucial and important that the medication which are brand or trade names are not substituted by genetic medication,” said Keberda.

Three states have already passed legislation to ban drug switching for epilepsy patients. Last year legislation to prevent the practice was filed, but never taken up by the Florida legislature.

There are some things to you can do to make sure you prescription isn’t switched. Have your doctor write DAW on the prescription. It means dispense as written. The note will direct your pharmacist to follow the doctor’s orders but it doesn’t mean your insurance company will pay for the drug.

Unless you are receiving Food Stamps or other government assistance, today was the last day you can fish from shore in Florida without a new seven dollar and fifty cent shoreline license. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, there are also new safety regulations taking effect.

As many as 338 thousand people are expected to need a shore line license. But because the requirement is so new, anglers may get a break for a couple of days.

“The officers are not going to lock you up,” Henry Cabbage, Fish and Wildlife Spokesman, said. “He’s going to suggest that before you come back out here tomorrow, you need to get the license.”

Boaters also now face a host of new regulations.

Tearing up seagrass beds will cost you 50 dollars for the first time. A fourth offense will clip you for a thousand dollars.

Current law says anyone under 21 must take a boating safety class

But evidence shows the majority of boating accidents are caused by people over 21 who started boating later in life.

From now on, anyone born after January 1st, 1988 will have to have had a boating safety class.

David Lewis took a safety course years ago.

“Well it was a good course and it taught a good deal about seamanship, but it didn’t have the components of the course that involved the practical realities of operating a boat,” Lewis said.

Kids will now have to wear life jackets until they are ten instead of just six.  Shonja Metcalf says the lifesavers are a must for her kids.

“If the boat’s in gear, if the boat’s on, they’re wearing life jackets,” Metcalf said.

Finally, the state is also lowering the blood alcohol level to make it easier to throw the book at really drunk boaters.

The legislation also increases the fee to register a boat from another state by six dollars.

A congressional plan to ban texting while driving could cost Florida more than three- hundred million dollars. The legislation would penalize states without a ban by withholding 25 percent of their federal highway funds. As Whitney Ray tells us, state lawmakers have already responded with a bill against driving while texting.

This Florida State Senior is so addicted to text messaging, he keeps typing away, even from behind the wheel.

“I keep the phone by the steering wheel and I’m texting and looking at the light and it’s giving me something to do while I’m driving,” said the senior who didn’t want us to use his name. “Do you see any danger in that at all,’ asked a reporter. “Oh yeah. I’m a risk management major and I think it’s probably one of the most dangerous things to do,” the senior answered.

People who text while driving are 20 times more likely to wreck. 14 states have already ban texting while driving, but not Florida. Congressional legislation would penalize states without a ban by withholding 25 percent of their federal highway funding. Doug Calloway, President of Floridians for Better Transportation, says that’s not fair.

“The money we are talking about is our money. Those are our state gas tax dollars that are sent to Washington and should be returned to improve transportation in Florida,” said Calloway.

Lawmakers have two years to pass the texting ban before being penalized. Legislation to ban texting while driving failed in the state legislature last year, but a new bill has already been filed.

Andrea Miklos isn’t waiting for the law to change. She keeps her phone out of reach when she’s on the road.

“It’s annoying. I hear it and it annoys me, but I wait until I stop,” said Andrea.

For three straight years legislation to ban texting while driving has failed in Florida.

Eight more people have died from the H1N1 Swine Flu virus here in Florida.

Four of the victims were in their forties. One was a child. The deaths bring the total number of swine flu fatalities in Florida to 31. The state is preparing for an even deadlier winter. Dr. Russ Eggert, an epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health, said the state is still working out the details of its plan to vaccinate millions this fall.

“We are talking about potential barriers for a vaccine campaign, and what we need to do to try to overcome those barriers, reach out to our partners and stakeholders to help us. We can’t do it all by ourselves in the health department and obviously help from lots of partners to reach out to our populations and make sure they are vaccinated,” said Eggert.

The vaccine is expected to be available in large quantities this fall. The state could utilize schools to help administer the doses.

The state ended the 2008-2009 fiscal year 90 million dollars in the black. Revenue collections were up slightly in May and June and home sales remain strong. As Whitney Ray tells us, car sales are expected to rise in the following months, but the state isn’t out of the woods just yet.

If it’s stain glass, chances are Susan Frisbee can make it. But lately making ends meet has been her main project.

“June of this year when I calculated my sales tax was about half of what it was last year,” said Susan.

The recession is forcing Floridians to shop less and art isn’t the only thing not selling. Tax collections on beer and cigarettes are down, contributing to a four million dollar decline on sales tax collections.

But home sales continue to pump money into the state’s bank account and the “Cash for Clunkers” program is already paying off.

“We’ve hardly had enough staff to keep up this week with the traffic,” said Mickey Atkinson, a Car Salesman with Tallahassee Ford.

The state isn’t out of the wood just yet. Even the ever-optimist governor is holding off on a victory lap.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but it certainly is a glimmer of hope,” said Crist.

A glimmer Susan has noticed over the past several weeks.

“July seems to be doing better already when compared to last year’s July I think we are kind of on the uptick just a little bit,” said Susan.

But even if the winds of change are in the air, the current economic storm hasn’t completely blown over.

Since the state cigarette tax jumped by a dollar on the first of July, some North Florida convenience stores are seeing fewer cigarette sales. Floridians are streaming across Florida Georgia state line for cheap cigarettes.

At this convenience store a mile and a half north of the border, there were four cars with Florida plates. Jan from Tallahassee pulled in and made it five.

“I bet you came to buy cigarettes” we asked. Jan didn’t want to give us her last name, but responded  “Yes I did as a matter of fact” It’s the principle. They don’t need to single out smokers for tax”.

Kathy McKee started making the 40 from Crawfordville mile trip July first.

“We come at least twice a month”. She says she buys two cartons each time. That means she is costing Florida about forty dollars a month. “Could Be” she responds.

Jim Smith from the association of convenience stores says it is still early to pinpoint lost sales in Florida, but…“Close to Georgia and Alabama, my retailers are reporting a drop in sales”. “How big”? We ask. “Right now, ten to fifteen percent for some of them” says Smith.

Another threat to state revenues are internet sales. This site offers cheap smokes and promises no reporting. Marie Carpenter from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation says  you could get stuck for the tax if you get caught. The state has hired 7 new auditors to monitor sales.

“ If the companies don’t pay to us, we can go to the consumers to collect that tax”, says Carpenter.

Under Florida law, it is legal to possess 3 cartons of cigarettes without a Florida tax stamp, but it is illegal to buy them over the internet and not pay the tax.

If you feel guilty about not paying the state for cigarettes bought over the internet, you can download a form the Florida Department of Business on the internet at:     http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/consumers.html

Legislation allowing oil drilling 45 miles off the coast of Florida is making waves in congress. The plan is just the latest in a series of efforts to open up Florida’s coast to drilling. As Whitney Ray tells us, Governor Charlie Crist says he’s open to the idea.

There are hundreds of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Legislation has kept them 125 miles off Florida’s coast, but Congress will review a plan to allowing drilling just 10 miles out. Governor Charlie Crist says the legislation is worth discussing.

“I think there is an opportunity to find a middle ground that is appropriate; that is safe and clean and done right so I’m open to reviewing what those opportunities might be,” said Crist.

Drilling off Florida’s coast could create thousands of jobs but environmentalists say an oil spill could ruin the state’s tourism industry. Business groups in Florida say drilling and tourism can coexist.

“Here in Florida they wouldn’t even be visible they wouldn’t have to be that close to access these recourses,” said Jose Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Associated Industries of Florida.

Colleen Castille, the former secretary of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, isn’t convinced. Castille says 10 miles is too close.

“Three years ago we should have implement that law where we were going to protect Florida’s shores all around Florida for 125 miles and it’s unfortunate we didn’t,” said Castille.

But gas was cheap back then. Any spike in the price of a gallon now will rally support for drilling and put pressure on Congress. The legislation would allow coastal states to receive 37 percent of the rent and royalties energy companies pay to lease the federal land.