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The Governor’s health care plan to provide coverage to the state’s uninsured is waiting on his signature. The plan cuts premiums by offering scaled down coverage, but as Whitney Ray tells us, many Floridians say it doesn’t go far enough.

Rafael Marte owns La Tiendita, a Hispanic grocery store in Tallahassee. Marte can’t afford insurance coverage for his employees who also happen to be his family.

“There’s no way La Tiendita can pay insurance for the rest of the family. We have to get somebody working in another job,” said Marte.

Governor Charlie Crist wants to offer the Marte family a plan just approved by lawmakers. His plan offers coverage to the state’s uninsured for about a hundred and 50 bucks a month. The Governor isn’t sure when his plan will go into effect, but he is working out the details with insurance companies.”

The plan would cover preventative care and emergency room visits. The state would lift some mandated coverage to lower the price.

The whole purpose is to make sure the 3.8 million people in Florida who do not have health insurance may now have an opportunity to get it at a price that they might be able to afford,” said Crist.

But many can’t afford a hundred and 50 dollars a month.

“That’s a little steep. The Governor needs to better. That’s not good enough. That’s not good enough,” said Carolyn Young.

While the Governor’s plan maybe a step in the right direction, when it comes to covering the state’s uninsured, the path is a long one. Governor Crist is working with eight insurance companies to offer the plan.

Three plans to offer Floridians a tax break this summer, failed. This is the first time in nearly a decade the state won’t offer a back-to-school tax holiday. In the past Floridians enjoyed cheaper prices on items to harden their homes. This year a plan for a hurricane preparedness tax break was blown away. The state will also continue to tax gas this summer. A plan to cut the gas tax by ten cents this summer ran out of fuel. Representative Marti Coley sponsored the back-to-school tax break.

“We will feel it and I think we will feel it immediately. There is definitely a crunch and we all know that and the need and the necessity to give all families a tax break, I think is extremely important. It’s a big disappointment,” said Coley.

Lawmaker cited a four billion dollar shortfall as the reason for not passing the relieve plans.

The system failed one 9 year-old Florida girl and today, the state began to make it up to her. When Marissa Amora was still a baby, social workers at a Miami hospital reported signs of abuse. Despite the reports, Marissa was released to her biological mother. The Department of Children and Families didn’t take action. A month later, Marissa was readmitted to the hospital suffering from broken bones and head injuries. Marissa was adopted by Dawn Amora. Tuesday, after a long battle with the state, Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill to pay the family 1.2 million dollars. Dawn Amora says the money will help meet Marissa’s medical needs.

“Now I can breath. I can breathe now. I don’t have to worry about no nurses or no medication or no diapers. It’s my role as a parent to be a mother,” said Amora.

The family is eligible for 18 million dollars. The bill makes provisions for lawmakers to take up the claims bill every year, until the family is totally compensated.

An innocent man locked up for 24 years met with the state’s Chief Financial Officer today to finalize his compensation payment. Alan Crotzer was imprisoned for a rape he didn’t commit. In 2006, DNA evidence proved his innocence. CFO Alex Sink signed the state’s settlement papers. The state will pay Crotzer 250,000 dollars in June. Then for the next 20 year Crotzer will receive a monthly check for 6,700 dollars. Crotzer says his freedom is more valuable than any money the state can give him.

“Freedom is priceless. Money can never ever replace freedom, anywhere in the world. So my freedom is everything. The money’s just to help me get on with my life.” Said Crotzer.

Crotzer plans to buy a house in Tallahassee and get a job working with the State Department of Juvenile Justice.

The Florida Supreme Court is debating what responsibility laboratories that make hazardous materials have to the public. Shortly after 911, a Florida photo editor died after receiving anthrax through the mail. As Whitney Ray tells us, the family of the victim believes the anthrax that killed their loved one came from a lab that does work for the government.

It was the scare felt round the world. Anthrax mailed to a tabloid in Boca Raton. It’s been seven years since Maureen Stevens lost her husband in the anthrax attack, and she’s still fighting for justice. Maureen’s lawyers spoke on behalf of the family.

“It was a very cruel death. A horrible death and to have to witness that and to have to lose a father and a husband, as you can imagine is very difficult for the family,” said attorney Richard Schuler.

Robert Stevens worked as a photo editor for a tabloid and was the first victim to die from anthrax following 911. Besides Stevens four other people died after receiving anthrax laced letters through the mail. Attorneys for the Stevens’ family were at the Florida Supreme Court trying to determine who is liable for the deaths. They believe the anthrax that killed the 63 year-old came from a Government contractor. A lawyer for the company told the justices there’s no evidence the anthrax came from their lab. Outside, their lawyer wouldn’t talk, but the Stevens’ attorney did.

“The security at that facility is abysmal and there’s evidence of that and they need to take responsibility for the deaths that occurred solely as a result of their fault,” said attorney Philip Burlington

The State Supreme Court is debating if the lab has a duty to do all it can to keep dangerous materials from the public. The State Supreme Court took the case under advisement. There is no time table for a decision.

The Governor’s plan for a statewide gas tax holiday ran out of fuel. Governor Charlie Crist urged the legislature to reduce the state’s gas tax by 10 cents for two weeks in July. Many lawmakers opposed the plan because of the budget shortfall and the millions the state would lose. Crist says he hasn’t given up hope for a gas tax break just because the state legislative session ended.

“I wish they could have done that, but maybe they’ll do it on the national level,” said Crist.

Presidential Candidates Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Clinton both support suspending the federal gas tax this summer.

Police officers in Florida died in the line of duty at the rate of more than one a month last year. This morning, the 16 officers who perished in 2007 were enshrined on a memorial at the State Capitol. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the good news so far this year, is that the trend of increasing deaths has been reversed. :

They come once a year in full regalia to pay tribute to their fallen brothers and sisters.

The officers bring their tears, their children, and they bring dedication. Florida lost 16 officers in the line of duty during 2007. It was one of the deadliest years in recent history.

“This alarming trend of assaults and deaths upon the guardians of public safety must be reversed,” James Preston, President of the Fraternal Order of Police said.

Governor Charlie Crist says each of them heroes.

“Public safety is the most important reason government exists,” Crist said. “The founding fathers placed it in our constitution that we should ensure domestic tranquility. Those that we honor today did that more than anyone.”

Tighter budgets in the coming year will mean doing more with less for these officers.

If there is good news, it is that last year’s deadly trend has so far been reversed, with only one officer dying in the line of duty this year.

Since record keeping began, 688 officers in Florida have been killed in the line of duty.

During the ceremony today, Governor Charlie Crist signed an executive order allowing state agencies to use the Amber Alert system in the state to broadcast pictures and descriptions of  criminals.  The hope is the public will respond by telling police when they see someone who is wanted.

Lawmakers left the Capitol, with a bare bones budget, an insurance plan for the uninsured and very little pork to take home in an election year. Lawmakers declared the 2008 session over shortly after 6 o’clock. As Whitney Ray tells us lawmakers rushed against the clock to take up some of the year’s most important issues.

It ended with the traditional handkerchief drop. After the hankies landed the Senate President and the House Speaker embraced. Speaker Marco Rubio said this session was his most challenging.

“Although we made some difficult decisions and I know it was less than idea, the budget of the state of Florida was balanced and it was balanced with out raising taxes,” said Rubio.

Governor Charlie Crist got his health care plan passed.

“What it’s going to do is provide an opportunity for those 3.8 million who have not had insurance before,” Crist said.

The last day of session saw a slew of bills rushed through the system. Lawmakers had one more issue to take up before the hankies dropped. And one mother waited anxiously for their decision. Lori Staples made weekly trips to the Capitol to fight for her daughter Caitlyn, who suffers from Autism. The House took up the autism bill, supported by the Governor, last.

“All you could do was pray and hope for the best, and we did get the best out of it, and it’s a new beginning for a lot of families out there,” Staples said.

While the Governor’s autism and health insurance passed, his gas tax holiday ran out of fuel when lawmakers decided they couldn’t spare the money needed to build roads. Most lawmakers agree the biggest issue they tackled was the budget. Lawmakers made ends by dipping into reserves.

Lawmakers said no to a deal to purchase more than 60 miles of railroad through central Florida. Lawmakers were considering purchasing the track from the CSX Company and using it for a commuter rail. The bill died today. Governor Charlie Crist said he hopes lawmakers will reconsider the plan next year.

“I hope it doesn’t go away. I think a commuter rail is important. If we can get folks off the road and help clear the arteries of our interstates and road ways in Florida, I think it’s important to continue to have diversity in our transportation options,” said Crist.

The deal would have cost about 6-hundred million dollars.

Lawmakers passed relief for parents with kids suffering from autism. A bill aimed at offering insurance coverage for autistic kids looked dead in the minutes leading up to the end of the legislative session. The bill passed the Senate, but it looked like the House wasn’t going to take up the issue. In dramatic fashion Speaker of the House Marco Rubio took up the bill just moments before the 2008 legislative session ended. Governor Charlie Crist supported the bill and thanked everyone who helped the bill get through the process, including a famous Miami Quarterback.

“There work was tremendous. I want to thank Dan Marino for his help too. So many people, so many Floridians, came to Florida’s aid at a difficult time and I’m enormously grateful to them all,” said Crist.

One Hang up in the House centered on singling out autism. Rubio asked lawmakers to look at expanding coverage to children with other disabilities in the future.

Florida lawmakers have passed a budget and are in their final minutes of this years 60 days session. As Mike Vasilinda tells us,

Old folks at home will remain the state song, minus offensive lyrics. Offensive truck accessories will remain legal. Condo owners will have more rights. 911 dispatchers will be better trained. A wrongfully convicted man will get paid’

State employees will get nothing in this budget.

With one exception: state troopers get a 5 percent raise.

“It’s a retention issue that really affects South Florida,” State trooper Bill Smith said.

Schools will see140 dollars less for each student. But an 8 year effort to protect kids from bullies is finally successful. After a lot of talk, more property tax relief will be non existent, but people will have an easier time challenging assessments. Some businesses will also benefit.

“It would be taxed at what it’s actually being used for, rather than what it could be used for. Its highest and best use,” Rep. Dan Gelber said.

The session is also notable for what it dit not do. Corporate tax loopholes will not be closed and cigarettes will not be taxed at a higher rate, both of which could have offset huge cuts in services.

“We don’t want to raise taxes, you know,” Rep. Ray Sansom said. “I think we did everything that the people of Florida expected us to do.”

The lawmaking process was often frenzied, with three bills passing the Senate in just five minutes. And like most years, the most controversial items were left for last.

It will soon be tougher for approved travelers to go to Cuba. Visits are allowed for family visits and for journalists. But new legislation will require travel agencies that arrange such trips to post large bonds and to make frequent reports to Homeland security. Sponsor David Rivera of Miami says the legislation is really about terrorism.

“I think most Floridians will recognize that travel to a terrorist country represents a unique risk to the safety and security of our citizenry and that’s why you’ve got to have public oversight and government regulation of those who are engaging in business with these terrorist governments,” Riviera said.

Lobbyists for the travel agencies say the legislation is likely to drive some companies out of business.

Florida will spend 30 million dollars more next year on sending kids to private schools. The state doesn’t actually spend the money, but it allows corporations to make donations to private foundations that provide scholarships to private schools. State Senator Frederica Wilson of Miami told her colleagues that increase was the beginning of the end for public schools.

“School by school. County by county. This entire state will be void of public schools with this corporate tax incentive that we’re selling to parents,” Wilson said.

Sponsors of the legislation say the corporate scholarships actually save the state money since each child gets just 3950 dollars….which is just over half the cost of an average school student.

Parents will soon be able to have their autistic children’s therapy covered by their insurance policy. The state legislature is mandating that insurance companies provide up to t$36 thousand dollars of therapy for a child each year, with maximum payments of two hundred thousand dollars. Victoria Zepp is the mother of an autistic son and says early therapy can make all the difference in the world.

“With autism, autism is one of the very few disabilities where if you catch these children within a certain window, like three to four to five, you can actually reverse many of the causes of Autism that cause these children not to be able to be mainstream, that they’re not able to be melded into society,” Zepp said. “But by hitting them at a very early age with advanced therapy, with advanced behavioral therapy, you’re able to make such difference in the lives of these children, their families, their communities.”

An estimated one in every 150 children is autistic

The price you pay for toll roads, boat registration, and higher education will go up. Lawmakers who swore not to raise general taxes didn’t, but as Whitney Ray told us they raised fees.

It will soon cost a few more coins to use some of Florida’s toll roads. Lawmakers burdened with the task of slicing more than 3 billion dollars from the state budget passed dozens of fees to help make up the shortfall.

“You have a direct relationship between what you’re funding and the fees that go to that, sometimes it’s the most direct and accountable way of doing that,” said Kurt Wenner of Florida Tax Watch.

Boat registrations will increase…up to 70 dollars for the biggest boats. So will the price of most court filings. Lawmakers say they had to raise court fees to save the state’s justice system from drastic cuts

“We’re trying to find a balance, and I think a lot of us are a lot more comfortable with user fees than we would be with the idea of having higher taxes,” said Senator Mike Haridopolos.

Students will have to help shoulder the burden, tuition is one of the fees being raised. Lawmakers hope a tuition hike will help the State University system, which already plans to take on fewer students than a year ago. Governor Charlie Crist says he’s ready to be held accountable, when registering his boat.

“Well that means I’ll have to pay more. I use it, so I should,” said Crist.

While the tide may be low when it comes to the budget, lawmakers hope fees will bring the flood needed to keep some programs afloat. Some of the fees come with a mandated increase at the rate of inflation after five years.