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Governor Charlie Crist spent the weekend with several other Republican Governors at Senator John McCain’s Arizona ranch. McCain hosted a Memorial Day cookout to thank the people helping him campaign. Crist is on the short list to become McCain’s running mate. Crist said the food was good and the Vice President nomination didn’t come up.

“It wasn’t discussed at all. It was a great weekend. Senator McCain is a great cook, he enjoys grilling out and he does a superlative job of it. I ate too much, but I enjoyed it,” said Crist.

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal were also at the cookout.

With hurricane season on the horizon, the state is asking people to prepare, but not offering them any tax breaks to harden their homes. The state legislature voted down a hurricane tax break holiday, citing a budget 4 billion dollars lighter than a year ago. This is the first time in three years the state didn’t implement a sales tax holiday for hurricane season. Governor Charlie Crist urges families to prepare and said there’s still an incentive to stock up.

“The good news this year is that the private sector is really stepping up to the plate. There’s a lot of different outlets in Florida that are having specials for people to be able to purchase the kind of things that they need, coolers, water, batteries, flashlights, the essentials that you need during hurricane season to be ready to have your plan and be in place so I’m very pleased about that,” said Crist.

Besides the hurricane preparedness tax break, the legislature said no to a back to school tax break and a gas tax holiday.

Governor’s Charlie Crist will have a unique opportunity to reshape the state’s highest court. At least four of the Seven Florida Supreme Court Justices will step down before the end of the Governor’s first term. Crist will be able to pick their replacements from a small pool of nominees. Crist said he is looking to appoint justices with strong character.

“What I will look for are people number one of great integrity, that have caring hearts, that are truly compassionate and willing to serve,” said Crist.

Two justices are leaving for personal reasons. Two more are being forced out because they’ll turn 70, the mandatory retirement age. This is the most turnover the state Supreme Court has seen since three judges stepped down in 1975.

As people receive their rebate checks from the Federal Government, scam artists are looking for their piece of the pie. Emails are circulating claiming the federal government needs your banking information in order to deposit your rebate check directly into your bank. Scam artists then use the information to withdraw money from your account. Attorney General Bill McCollum said don’t be fooled into believing you’re getting an email from the IRS.

“They don’t send emails out from the IRS. They just don’t do it. You have a question about a rebate or an issue with the IRS, go to their website or go to the IRS office, but do not be a sucker for somebody who’s committing a scam and wants to steal your identity or get money from you because they’re claiming they’re from the government,” said McCollum.

In 2007, similar email scams cost victims more than 240,000 dollars.

A coalition of environmental groups issued a report today detailing evidence of global warming that is already observable here in Florida. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the report, titled Preparing for A Sea Change, says Florida must begin taking action now to avert disaster.

Hear it Here: Report Paints Dire Picture

Homes like this one, damaged but still standing on what is no loner dry land, a road, repaired again and again are all evidence of global warming says the report. Paul Johnson of Reef Relief says this red mangrove tree growing on the coast south of Tallahassee is proof something is amiss.

“It’s a rarity to find this plant here,” Johnson said. “It’s usually found hundreds of miles to the south and west of here.”

Crape Myrtles like this one aren’t typically in full bloom until mid-July. But here’s the rub, May has been an exceptionally cool month here in North Florida.

The Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition released a broad ranging report, calling on government to limit the use fossil fuels and more. Joe Murphy of the Gulf Restoration Network says average people have a part to play.

“The first thing is as simple as voting,” Murphy said. “When you go to vote think about a candidates environmental record, think about where they stand on climate change.”

While the coalition says time is running out to begin taking action, it also says the tide is turning.

“We fuel our whole industrial, economic complex with petroleum that we don’t have enough of,” Johnson said. “It’s becoming incredibly expensive. So the economics of this are in the right direction.”

The bottom line of the report: society needs to stop fighting nature and embrace it.

Hundreds of people still haven’t been paid for their hurricane losses in 2004 or 2005. A national survey being released later this week claims a high percentage of people living in coastal states aren’t prepared for the worst. As Whitney Ray tells us, how you survive a storm might depend on how you prepare.

Hear it Here: Prepare Now or Pay Later

Some people who lost it all in the 2004-2005 hurricanes will never be fully compensated for their loss. Insurance agents say many people aren’t as covered as they think.

“Everybody, particularly residents in the state of Florida, need to make sure they have separate coverage from the federal government for flood insurance. The lessons are all over the place,” said Scott Johnson, Executive Vice President for the Florida Association of Insurance Agents.

Agents say people should take out extra policies if they have free standing buildings or expensive property.

“You might have some items that need to be scheduled specifically. You might have jewelry, furs, or a gun collection,” said Johnson.

In order to make claims on your property you may want to spend a few hours taking pictures. Insurance regulators say make sure your pictures and receipts don’t blow away in the storm.

“Keep it in a safe place, a safety deposit box at a bank or even some safe box that is part of your hurricane kit that you pick up and take it with you when you leave the house,” said Ed Domansky, Spokesman for the Office of Insurance Regulation.

A spokeswoman for the state’s Chief Financial Officer said Floridians need to have their homes inspected.

“About 60 percent of the people that we give free wind inspections to are already eligible to save about 200 off insurance without doing a thing,” said Tara Klimek, a spokeswoman for the state’s Chief Financial Officer.

Hardening your home can help save you money on your premium and save your home from blowing away. For more information about state and federal hurricane preparedness resources you can call 1-800-22STORM.

Florida students tested better than a majority of students from other states in a nationwide test. Today the Department of Education released math and reading results from the FCAT Norm Reference Test. The norm reference test is given alongside the FCAT. The test is just for comparison and has no bearing on a school’s grade. Florida students from 3rd through 10th grade scored in the 60th percentile or better. Some grades scored in the 70’s. Department of Education Spokesman Tom Butler said the test will help parents judge the education their child is receiving.

“It’s a great tool for parents to use just as an extra measure to say, well how’s Florida doing as far as instructing our students and making sure they’re there to succeed and by looking at how far they are above the national average we can definitely say our teachers and schools are doing a great job preparing our students,” said Butler.

Fifth graders did the best in the state, scoring in the 77th percentile in Math.

About 30 people died on Florida highways over the holiday weekend. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 27 people were killed in car accidents. Last Memorial Day weekend 29 people were killed on state roads. Florida Highway Patrol Captain Mark Welch said officers can only do so much to keep drivers safe. The rest is up to the public.

“We’re doing our part to make your visit safe here in Florida, what we ask the public to do is to do their part, to drive the speed limit, to wear their seatbelt, if they’re going to drink, don’t drive,” said Welch.

Welch credits the state’s aggressive advertising campaign and the Click-it-or-Ticket program for the decline.

Deluged by complaints over rising food prices, the state’s Agriculture Commissioner is calling for a Federal investigation into why Diesel prices are outstripping gas prices. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, consumers have probably not seen the worst when it comes to food costs.

Hear it Here: Ag Chief Calls for Fuel Cost Probe
Hundreds of complaints are coming to state regulators over the rising prices for food. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson says corn being used to produce fuel is not the problem.

“Your food prices are not going up because a 15 to 20% of corn in this country are being used for ethanol.” Bronson told reporters.

Driven by what he believes are oil speculators, Charles Bronson is calling for a federal investigation. “For those that are buying and selling and trading oil futures four to eleven times before that tanker ever lands at a port to process that oil you can bet none of them are losing money.”

At his vegetable market, owner Butch Reagan says prices are up slightly.
“Everybody had got to factor in that fuel for good margin I mean, like a percentage of like five to ten percent.”

For consumers the highest prices are still on the way. That’s because the high cost of diesel will start showing up in the next planting season.

Communicating with growers daily, Reagan says some farmers may not plant another crop. “A lot of them are thinking about quitting, that’s a fact.” he says.

The reality is, state officials like Bronson can do little but raise their voices. But he joins growing number of people that are demanding answers.

Bronson worries that the increasing costs for fuel and food will eventually drive a 1929 style recession because the increases are based solely on speculators with a profit motive.

Dozens of local governments will benefit from a four million dollar settlement reached by state with insurance broker Aon. The company is alleged to have been paid commissions for directing business to certain companies which were not always in the best interests of the local governments. Sandi Copes of the Attorney Generals office says local government will share two point six million dollars.

“The insurance brokers might have been steering some policies towards other places that they really should have been going…and the bottom line was corporate entities and public entities might have been paying more for their premiums then they needed to, ” says Copes. “So when we discovered these allegations we worked with the company, and we believe that through the new disclosures they have to file that there will be a larger area of transparency.”

1.4 million of the four million dollar settlement will go to state government to cover the costs of the investigation.

Here is a list of the governments who will share the settlement:

Florida Supreme Court Justice Kenneth B. Bell announced his resignation Friday.. In a letter to the governor the Justice cited family reasons and says he plans to return to his hometown of Pensacola. Bell was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush in 2002. He is the first Justice appointed from the far Western Panhandle in the states history.

Charlie Crist now has two vacancies to fill. He will likely have two more before the end of the year as Justice Harry Lee Anstead and Justice Charles Wells are slated for mandatory retirement.

After receiving hundreds of complaints about skyrocketing food costs, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson is calling for a federal investigation into oil futures trading. Bronson likened rising energy prices to the run up before the 1929 stock market crash and suggested oil companies may be behind a smear campaign trying to link the higher fuel and food prices to the production of ethanol.

“For those that are buying and selling and trading oil futures four to eleven times before that tanker ever lands at a port to process that oil you can bet none of them are losing money, on those transactions. Every time those transactions take place the price of fuel for the average citizen of this state and this country goes up.”  says Bronson.

Bronson has little investigative power himself except during emergencies. Previous investigations into high oil by the state have gone nowhere.

Deluged by complaints over rising food prices, the state’s Agriculture Commissioner is calling for a Federal investigation into why Diesel prices are outstripping gas prices. Charles Bronson made it clear ethanol is not the problem at a morning news conference.  Hear the News Conference Here

Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller filed a federal lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee. Geller wants all of the state’s Democratic delegates seated. As Whitney Ray tells us, some members of the DNC say Geller is wasting his time.

Hear it Here: Lawsuit Claims DNC Stepped Out of Line, Treated Florida Unfairly

Last year a Republican led legislature voted to move up Florida’s Primary. The move violated bi-laws of both the Republican and Democratic National Committees. Both parties were penalized. Republicans lost half of their delegates. Florida Democrats lost them all.

Still that didn’t stop Democrats from voting. Thursday, Senate Minority leader Steve Geller filed a lawsuit alleging the Democratic National Committee was out of line when it penalized the state party. Geller says Democratic lawmakers did everything they could to prevent the move. DNC member Jon Ausman disagrees.

“He introduced a motion, but refused to debate it. He didn’t say one word in favor when there was a call for a debate,” said Ausman.

The suit also claims the DNC treated Florida unfairly by not penalizing other state that moved their primaries. Ausman said Florida forced the other states to change their primary dates.

“Those states were allowed to vote before February 5th and when Florida, thanks to Steve Geller, moved in front of February 5th the other states adjusted.”

Some voters say the lawsuit is too late.

“It’s a moot point,” said Veronica Sehrt, who voted for Barack Obama.

Whether or not the suit makes a difference in which nominee is selected will be left up to the Judicial system or the DNC Chair who’ s already pledged to seat a Florida delegation, he just hasn’t said how. A record setting 1.75 million people voted in the state’s Democratic primary.

As parts of the Everglades continue to burn, another threat looms, development. The Miami-Dade County Commission voted to build outside of the Urban Development Boundary despite protests by environmentalists and the mayor. The development plans have to be approved by the Department of Community Affairs within 45 days. Progress Florida’s Political Director Damien Filer is asking Governor Charlie Crist to intervene.

“It has grave consequences if this moves forward, from flood control to water quality, not to mention protecting what is truly a national treasure and we want to makes sure the Governor steps in and does the right thing,” said Filer.

Progress Florida just began collecting signatures Wednesday. So far the group has received more than 700. People can fill out a petition at www.progressflorida.org/savetheglades. The group plans to give the signatures to the Governor.