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Governor Charlie Crist talked at length with reporters at the state air pool Monday afternoon about his pending marriage to Carole Rome. Where will they live…Miami, St. Pete, or of course, the People’s House. Will the kids be with them? Some of the time. Even the Governor chuckled on one of the questions from Miami Herald reporter Mark Caputo.

Here the entire interview here

Thousands of Floridians maybe eligible to vote in November and don’t know it. Ex-felon’s who’ve had their civil rights restored can register to vote but as Whitney Ray tells us, many of them don’t know it.

Hear it Here: From Behind Bars to Ballot Boxes

It’s possible more ex-felon’s will cast ballots in this presidential election than in any other election in state history. Thousands of ex-felons are eligible to vote but they don’t know it.

The governor signed an order last year to automatically restore the right for some nonviolent offenders.

Since then more than a hundred thousand ex-felons have had their civil rights restored but many of them haven’t been notified. Jane Tillman, a spokeswoman for the Florida Parole Commission, says the commission is trying to break the good news to former felons but sometimes they have old contact information and funds are tight.

“We don’t have any money. So we’re trying to be as creative with less money and still get the message out there,” said Tillman.

The commission is reaching out to ex-felons through conferences and public service posters. Reggie Mitchell works with the People for the American Way Foundation. The foundation is devoted to helping former offenders get back on their feet.

“If you get people back into the pipeline, if you get them registered to vote, you’re recidivism rate drops tremendously, so they’re less likely to victimize other people,” said Mitchell.

Both political parties would like to see the newly registered cast ballots for their candidate.

“Democracy doesn’t categorize voters, if you’re eligible to vote and participate, we’re going to be out there reaching out to you and spreading the message,” said Jim Greer with the Republican Party of Florida.

Written reports suggest presidential hopeful Barack Obama would benefit most from the state’s ex-felon vote. People for the American Way Foundation has set up a database for ex-felons to check and see if they’ve had their rights restored. The database is at www.restoremyvote.org

The fate of high stakes Black Jack and other card games at Indian Casino’s remain up in the air tonight. Tribal leaders arrived at their Tallahassee attorney’s office this morning to discuss options following last Thursday’s State Supreme Court ruling that said Charlie Crist should have consulted state lawmakers before allowing gambling at Indian casinos. The issue is games not allowed anywhere else in Florida. Seminole Tribal Attorney Barry Richard says the Federal Government may let the games continue until state lawmakers have had a chance to decide if they want to honor the deal the governor cut last November.

Listen to the Full Barry Richard Interview Here

Floridians will soon have a chance to compete with people from other states to win big bucks. Powerball is coming to Florida. As Whitney Ray tells us, Floridians are ready to buy a ticket and so are people from bordering states.

Hear it Here: The Stakes Just Got Higher

There’s plenty of Florida merchandise in this convenience store on the north side of the Florida – Georgia border. Even some of the customers are from the Sunshine state. Floridians flock to the Peach state to play Mega Millions, a Multi state lotto game that lives up to its name. The jackpot this week is 53 million, much higher than the Florida Lottery’s payout.

“If you win the one down in Florida for 3 million. Hell by the time taxes gone out you ain’t got no money left. Hell people crazy down there,” said Luther Grander who bought a Mega Millions Ticket Thursday.

In January Floridians will be able to play for a much higher jackpot without leaving the state. The Florida Lottery is getting Powerball. Georgia resident George Washington Jr. says he’ll make weekly trips to Florida to play.

No one knows how many people from Georgia will flock to Florida to play Powerball but the new game could keep Floridians from flocking to the peach state to play Mega Millions

Florida will be the biggest of the 29 states to host Powerball. None of Florida’s bordering states have the game. The Florida Lottery doesn’t plan to advertise in other states, but they say the Powerball name will attract players.

“The game it’s self will speak for its self. It’s a great game and I don’t think it gets any bigger than Powerball,” said Florida Lottery Spokeswoman Jackie Barreiros.

Florida Lottery sales are flat. They hope Powerball will give them the boast needed to help fund education.

Over the last 20 years the Florida Lottery has raised 18 billion dollars for the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 146 million. The current jackpot is at 85 million dollars. Powerball tickets cost a dollar a piece and there’s an option to add a red power number for an extra buck. Tickets will go on sell in Florida in January 2009. The Powerball drawing is hosted in Iowa, but will be moved to Florida by the end of the year.

A controversial gun bill is now state law but Disney says they don’t have to obey it. Despite a court challenge, Floridians with gun licenses are now allowed to bring their weapons to work even if their employers object. Disney says a loophole in the law, that exempts companies that store explosives, lets them off the hook. Disney has a license to store fireworks. The state Attorney General’s office has received a complaint against Disney. Attorney General Spokeswoman Sandi Copes said they’re still trying to decide if Disney can legally keep its employees from having their guns locked in their cars while they’re at work.

“Disney’s memo says they’re not subject to the handgun portability law, so right now we’re working to determine if that is the case, what needs to happen to enforce that law, or what is the situation at hand. Right now we only have one complaint from a consumer, but we will be working together to share information at this point,” said Copes.

Disney’s not the only one challenging the law. The Florida Chamber of Commerce filed for an injunction before the law took effect. The judge considering the temporary ban on the law said he’ll make a decision by the middle of the month.

The Florida Supreme Court is telling Governor Charlie Crist he went too far when he authorized Blackjack and other card games at 7 Seminole Tribe Casino’s last November. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the ruling caught policy makers by surprise and raises as many questions as it answers.

Read the Opinion Here

The Indian Gaming compact was signed with great fanfare last November.

The deal was in court almost immediately. State lawmakers argued it exceeded the Governor’s authority.

The court’s order was short and to the point. The Governor did needed legislative approval before allowing games that aren’t allowed anywhere else in Florida.

The ruling creates a highly complex situation. One to which there are few answers right now.

The Attorney General’s office isn’t sure what happens next.

“We have to decide whether or not it is up to the federal government to possibly close these casinos down, if they do need to stop operating immediately or if the original state law goes into effect,” Sandi Copes, spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office said. “So that’s something that as the chief legal officer, the Attorney General is going to be taking very seriously and conducting a full review of what the situation is.”

The Governor’s office will say only that it is also reviewing the ruling.

The Seminole Tribe is still operating the black jack tables under authority from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and they are likely to remain in the high stakes gaming business until state lawmaker reject or modify the deal that Charlie Crist cut last year.

Depending on what lawmakers do, all bets on the future of gambling are off.

Police stations across the state are celebrating a new law that imposes stricter penalties for people who grow Marijuana. As Whitney Ray tells us, the law will save taxpayers money.

Hear it Here: New Law Give Police Green Light to Throw Away Evidence Before A Trial

There’s barely room to stand in the Tallahassee police evidence room. The story’s the same across the state. Cops bust marijuana grow houses sometimes thousands of plants are seized, and police have to store the drugs and growing equipment as evidence for trial.

“We have to keep it all ready to go show in court,” said FDLE Executive Director Gerald Bailey.

Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill into law that allows police officers to snap a picture the evidence and then get rid of some of it.

Until now police departments have had to rent extra space to store evidence. Bailey said the new law will help police save money.

“We’re all under budget cuts so the main issue is dollars,” said Bailey.

The law also increases penalties for small growing operations.

Now people caught growing 25 marijuana plants can be charged with a 2nd degree felony.

Until this month… only people caught growing 3-hundred plants or more would be charged with a 2nd degree felony. State Senator Steve Oelrich said the law needed to be changed.

“This is not somebody in a tie-dyed tee shirt growing three plants on their back porch. This is an organized crime activity,” said Oelrich.

Police hope the new risk will convince dealers small and large to get out of the drug game. The new law also makes keeping drugs within the reach of a child a first degree felony.

A new law is aimed at protecting people from dating violence. Governor Charlie Crist held a bill signing ceremony today with family members of two Floridians killed in an act of dating violence. The bill gives people in abusive dating relationships the same rights as victims of domestic violence. It also allows police officers to arrest people who threaten and abuse their dates without an arrest warrant. Kim Barwick’s daughter was killed by an angry ex-boyfriend.

“It was a bittersweet day. We’re glad it was able to happen quickly,
because it will be in law to help others that are in this situation. So
another family will not have to endure what we have,” said Barwick.

“This bill is going to become a model bill that will be looked at across
the United States now and being able to protect our citizens that are in
a dating relationship,” said bill sponsor Kurt Kelly.

Kim Barwick helped push the legislation. Barwick wants to become a victim’s advocate.

Following up on a record setting adoption year, state leaders launched a campaign aimed at beating the new record. There were more than 3,500 adoptions in Florida last year. The Governor launched an advertising campaign Wednesday aimed at finding more children homes. The video ads will run in both English and Spanish. The ads are aimed at finding homes for the harder to place kids, like teenagers. Sixteen year-old Justin Crews was adopted two years ago. Crews said there are advantages to adopting older children.

“I encourage them to adopt older kids also. I mean just like everyone
else they need a home to. They’re older in age that makes them mature
and you can still teach them and shape them into the child they can be
today,” said Crews.

There are more than a thousand kids in Florida up for adoption.

Governor Charlie Crist says Florida is financially ready for a hurricane. The State Board of Administration voted to pay a Nebraska investment firm more than 2-hunded million dollars from the Catastrophe fund. In exchange the company will come to Florida’s rescue in the event of a hurricane causing a minimum of 25 billion dollars in damage. Two members of the board weren’t happy with the deal, but they voted for it anyway. Governor Crist said the state needed to do something.

“I think what we were able to do today was provide better protection for the people of Florida in the event of a catastrophic storm and thank God we did it,” said Crist.

If a major hurricane did hit Florida, the investment company would buy four billion dollars in state bonds.

Death Row opponents held a vigil at the state Capitol today. The ceremony was in protest to Florida’s first execution in more than a month. The group Citizens Against the Death Penalty says capital punishment is inhuman. Chairwoman of the Tallahassee Citizens against the Death Penalty group says since last nights execution of Mark Schwab went as planned, she expect more people to be executed soon.

“This one went off last night without a hitch, as they like to say, I
think this may open the door for a number of death warrants to be signed,” said Schwab.

Governor Charlie Crist said he plans to speed up the process by signing more death warrants.

“It’s the first time as a guy who signed the death warrant and it’s a
duty. I support the death penalty and on behalf of the victims
I’m glad justice was done,” said Crist.

Schwab was the first person executed in Florida since a botch execution in 2006.

Another lender is being called on the carpet for ripping off borrowers. Florida’s Attorney General has filed suit against Countrywide Financial accusing the lender of deceptive and unfair trade practices. As Whitney Ray tells us, the state’s top legal officer says people were given loans they couldn’t afford.

Hear it Here: Lender Called On the Carpet

While thousands of Floridians continue to drown in debt, the state’s Attorney General says one cause of the foreclosure flood is a well known name in the lending business, Countrywide Financial. Attorney General Bill McCollum said Countrywide was dishing out money to people they knew couldn’t pay it back.

“They know very well that these people couldn’t qualify, many of them, or wouldn’t normally. They reduced and relaxed their regulations,” said McCollum.

The AG’s office filed suit claiming Countrywide issued loans with low interest rates that skyrocketed after a year. Many paid for their mistake with their home.

More than a hundred people complained about Countrywide to the Attorney General’s office. McCollum said they’re just seeing the tip of the ice berg.

“The reality is that everybody that they touched, made statements too that were not accurate or misleading, were affected by this,” McCollum said.

Jason Roth represents ACORN, an organization helping victims of subprime lending. Roth said he’s not surprised another lender is in hot water and he expects more mortgage companies to be called on the carpet.

“The people who were sold these loans were sold a bill of goods and they were sold them with fraudulent terms. In some incidents they were told they were getting one type of loan when they got another,” said Roth.

The suit seeks fines and some refunds for victims. Countrywide may never pay. Bank of America closed its purchase of the company this week.

Man Saves Bear

A Florida wildlife biologist risked drowning or being mauled to death—in order to save a bear. Wildlife officers were called to catch a black bear hiding under a person house in Franklin County. When the officers arrived the bear began to run toward a populated area. One of the officers shot the bear with a tranquilizer dart. The bear ended up in the Gulf of Mexico near Alligator Point. That’s when one of the wildlife officers dove in after the 6’5, 375 lbs black bear. Wildlife Biologist Adam Warwick said the bear dozed off when he got to it, so his goal was to keep its head above water so the animal wouldn’t drown.

“I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I was going to let that bear drown. I would think about it for the rest of my life,” said Warwick.

Warwick was able to get the bear close enough to shore for other officers to help pull the bear to dry land.

It will now cost more in Florida to get a divorce or to pay a speeding ticket. Several fees increased today. Court cost went up significantly. Traffic violations will now cost an extra 17 bucks. The fees were adopted by the legislature and the Governor as a way to help fill the four billion dollar budget void. Captain Mark Welch with the Florida Highway Patrol sees an upside to the fees. Welch hopes the increased fines will encourage Floridians to become better drivers.

“It’s not just a fine, the consequences of bad driving habits sometimes lead to crashes, injury and death and that’s what we’re trying to avoid here,” said Welch.

Tuition will also increase by six percent.

The clock is ticking for a convicted murderer set to be the first prisoner executed in Florida since 2006. Mark Schwab is set to be executed at 6 O’clock tonight. Schwab was sentenced to death for raping and murdering an 11 year old boy. Executions were put on hold after a botched execution in 2006 took twice as long as normal. Since then new procedures were put in place and the execution chamber was redesigned. This will be Charlie Crist’s first execution as Governor. Crist says he wants the process sped up.

“There’s an old adage in law that Justice delayed is justice denied and I believe that and I’m very sympathetic to the family members of those who have had family members taken from us, murdered and I feel for them that they have to wait so long to have finality or closure,” said Crist.

Attorney General Bill McCollum says he’s not looking forward to Schwab’s execution, but says justice has to be served.

“No one looks forward to these things it’s not something we’re happy about but it’s justice,” said McCollum.

The Governor, the Attorney General, and the Supreme Court Chief Justice will be on a conference call tonight with the supervising warden while the execution occurs.