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Evolution will be taught in Florida public schools, despite months of opposition from creationist. A divided State Board of Education says evolution will be taught as a scientific theory not a fact, but as Whitney Ray tells us people on both sides of the issue still have problems with the amendment.

Hear it here: Board Approves Evolution as Theory, Not Fact

Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting was packed with people who wanted evolution taught in public schools.

“I ask you to oppose those who attempt to build up God by tearing down science,” said one supporter.

An equal number said the science is flawed.

“There are problems with carbon dating, massive gaps with missing links,” said one objector.

An hour after it began.

“Fortunately my monkey DNA has a thick skin and a sense of humor,” said board member Roberto Martinez.

Two proposals were on the table. Teach Evolution as a scientific fact or teach students the scientific theory of evolution. With four resounding yeses, a third option was mandated for Florida students. The board adopted a compromise calling for students to be taught “A” theory of evolution.” Not “The” theory.

People on both sides of the issue weren’t upset with the final decision, but they weren’t necessary happy either.

Chemistry Professor Gerry Meisels helped write the original proposal and doesn’t like the changes.

“It’s not a perfect answer, I wouldn’t say that. I think many of us are disappointed a board of non scientist define words that are not common uses in science,” said Meilsels.

Despite the passionate views of the adults, it will now be left up to kids to make up their own minds about the origin of man. Evolution will start being taught in Florida public school this fall.

Kidney disease is on the rise in Florida. That’s the word from Florida’s Kidney Foundation. Surveys show treatment and prescription cost are too expensive for many people struggling with the disease. Tuesday lawmakers offered a bill expanding Medigap coverage. Medigap policies offer relief by helping pay some healthcare costs not covered by Medicare. People with kidney disease have two options, transplant or dialysis. State Representative Anna Flores said transplants are hard to come by, so the main option is dialysis.

“You have patients that are hooked up to a machine for hours a day. Three, five, some people even seven or eight hours everyday,” said Anitere Flores, a state representative from Miami. “You can imagine that makes it very difficult or for some people impossible to work, to hold a job, to care for family. So this disease not only affects the patient but it affects their entire family.”

Kidney disease is prevalent in all ages. The problem is Medigap coverage is not offered to people under the age of 65. The Florida Kidney Foundation has formed a committee to try and expand coverage options. Their goal is to ease the burden of medical fees for Floridians facing chronic kidney disease.

Allstate Insurance is again on the hot seat for failing to give state regulators documents, for mislabeling the documents it has given the state, and for its CEO signing off on a rate request he did not fully read. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the company again faces the loss of its certificate to sell insurance.

Hear it here: Allstate Back in Hot Seat

State regulators are taking an administrative route to suspend Allstate’s license to sell new business. The charges come as some agents are reporting a 50 percent drop in the sales of new policies after the state sought to suspends the company’s certificate in January. Regulators said the company still hasn’t given them everything they are seeking.

“But in addition the complaint also states that they falsely indicated
that the documents were trade secret,” said Ed Domansky, a spokesperson for Department of Insurance Regulation.
At a half day hearing, lawmakers continued to drill industry executives on why rates didn’t go down as much as expected.

“They want to cancel everybody that’s a risk and overcharge everybody that’s not,” said Senator Bill Posey.

The companies bought extra insurance instead.

“Who knows whether there are rebates out there and collusions. There are issues having to do with the major insurance brokering arms,” said Paul Walther, a reinsurance expert.

Experts also testified rates went up because of newly developed short term models. Lawmakers are upset because short term models are not allowed to be used to set rates.

“And then they say, well we produced the short term model but we have no idea how people use it, we’re not responsible if they use it improperly, which I had concerns with. Oh you mean that they’re using our models to set rates? We’re shocked,” said Senator Steve Geller.

One outcome of the hearings is that lawmakers are promising legislation this spring, clarifying which hurricane prediction models can be used and which can’t. After four days of hearings, state lawmakers said they have barely scratched the surface in understanding why and how some insurers have avoided lowering rates. They expect more to hold more hearings during the regular legislative session beginning next month.

State lawmakers of Cuban heritage are downplaying the significance of Fidel Castro’s announcement that he is stepping down. State Representative David Rivera said he expects business as usual in Cuba.

“Castro’s resignation as president means absolutely nothing because the post of president or the council of state that the president oversees has no practical importance inside Cuba. The country is run by the communist party and until he resigns from the prolate bureau or the central committee or as first secretary of the Communist party, there will be no real change in Cuba,” Rivera said.

House Speaker Marco Rubio said Tuesday’s announcement is nothing more than a sham, designed to convince people there are free elections in Cuba.

“He took over by force, he’s maintained power by force, his brother will hold on to power by force. There is no formal governmental process, said Rubio. “They’re creating all this perception that there is but he’s a dictator. And really the only true transition in Cuba, the only news that’s newsworthy out of Cuba will be the day they announce that there’s going to be free and open elections. And until such time, nothing’s changed.”

Governor Charlie Crist echoed much of the same sentiment. The governor
said he has been in contract with state and Miami authorities and says he doesn’t expect much of a change in Cuba.

“It’s a formalization of the way things have been for the past year and a half there. Our hope, obviously, is that eventually, sooner than later, the island moves to freedom, democracy and the kind of liberty we enjoy here in America,” Crist said.

Under legislation introduced Tuesday, scrap metal dealers will have to get thumb prints, photograph cars, and provide descriptions of people selling scrap metal such as copper or aluminum. Scrap metal prices have skyrocketed in recent years, making it profitable for thieves to raid air conditioners or cemeteries looking for metal to resell. State Senator Victor Crist says it has become almost epidemic.

“Mausoleums with 18,000 dollar bronze doors in cemeteries, they put them up and months later, the doors are gone. Plaques, memorializing loved ones, in cemeteries, dug up, stolen, gone. Air conditioning units, churches, nonprofits, schools, businesses torn out, metal taken from it and taken to recycle places,” said Senator Crist.

The legislation would also make it a felony if a thief disrupts electrical power or phone service while trying to steal wire.

Children who are photographed in pornographic settings would be able to sue the people who take or even transmit their pictures. Legislation introduced Tuesday supported by the Attorney General would provide settlements of up to $150,000 for each offense. Maureen Horkan runs the Cyber Crime Unit in the Attorney General’s office and she said the pictures they find are too graphic to show in public.

“They contain penetration of small children by adults and objects. Children covered with feces. Children bound. Children being made to be tied and threatened with weapons. Children that in some of the images are crying. It is a horrific reality that is out there,” said Horkan.

While many who transmit child porn have no assets, many do. The Attorney
General believes the legislation will result in payments to adults who where taken advantage of as children, but only if they come forward.

Governor Charlie Crist is planning on sending state lawmakers an optimistic message when he gives his annual State of the State address in early March. Crist met with reporters Tuesday to discuss his legislative priorities. They include expanded health care, education funding, and energy efficiency. Over all, the governor plans to say the State of the State is good.

“Florida is on a roll and we’re going to continue to be on a roll. We’ve got almost a 70 billion dollar budget, we’ve got a great economy, we’ve got a great climate and there’s no better place to be,” Crist said.

The governor is recommending more than 40 million dollars for energy efficient programs and research. He also expects the FCAT and Class Size to be issues lawmakers will deal with this year.

New legislation would make it a crime to take pictures of young children in suggestive poses. Some modeling agencies specialize in taking pictures of girls 13 and younger in suggestive clothing and post the pictures on the internet. Attorney General Bill McCollum calls the pictures a gateway to hard core pornography.

“We’re dealing with children being exploited and we’re dealing with the potential, especially for those who are viewing this material, that they’re going to whet their appetites by the erotic nature of these children, young children, in pictures and they’re going to want to get something more hardcore, more truly, technically pornographic and then act on it,” said McCollum.

The legislation utilizes the same standards that make it illegal to sell a Playboy or other such magazine to a minor.

Allstate Insurance is again on the hot seat tonight for failing to give state regulators documents, for mislabeling the documents it has given the state, and for it’s CEO signing off on a rate request he did not fully read. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the company again faces the loss of it’s certificate to sell insurance.

State regulators are taking an administrative route to suspend Allstate’s license to sell new business. The charges come as some agents are reporting a 50 percent drop in the sales of new policies after the state sought to suspends the company’s certificate in January.

Ed Domansky of the Office of Insurance Regulation say the company still hasn’t given them everything they are seeking. “But in addition the complaint also states that they falsely indicated that the documents were trade secret,” he added.

At a half day hearing, lawmakers, including  Senator Bill Posey continued to drill industry executives on why rates didn’t go down as much as expected.

“They want to cancel everybody that’s a risk and overcharge everybody that’s not.” Posey asked rhetorically.

The answer The companies bought extra insurance instead.  Reinsurance expert Paul Walther wouldn’t discount the possibility of collusion among reinsurers.  “Who knows whether there are rebates out there and collusions. There are issues having to do with the major insurance brokering arms.”

Experts also testified rates went up because of newly developed short term models. State Senator Steve Geller of Hallendale Beach is upset because short term models are not allowed to be used to set rates. “And then they say, well we produced the short term model but we have no idea how people use it, we’re not responsible if they use it improperly, which I had concerns with. Oh you mean that they’re using our models to set rates? We’re shocked!”

One outcome of the hearings is that lawmakers are promising legislation this spring, clarifying which hurricane prediction models can be used and which can’t.

State lawmakers of Cuban heritage are downplaying the significance of Fidel Castro’s announcement that he is stepping down.  State Representative David Rivera says he expects business as usual in Cuba.

“Castro’s resignation as president means absolutely nothing because the post of president or the council of state that the president oversees has no practical importance inside Cuba. The country is run by the communist party and until he resigns from the prolate bureau or the central committee or as first secretary of the Communist party, there will be no real change in Cuba.”

House Speaker Marco Rubio says Tuesday’s announcement is nothing more than a sham, designed to convince people there are free elections in Cuba.

“He took over by force, he’s maintained power by force, his brother will hold on to power by force. Says Marco rubio. ” There is no formal governmental process. They’re creating all this perception that there is but he’s a dictator. And really the only true transition in Cuba, the only news that’s newsworthy out of Cuba will be the day they announce that there’s going to be free and open elections. And until such time, nothing’s changed.”

Governor Charlie Crist echoed much of the same sentiment. The governor says he has been in contract with state and Miami authorities and says he doesn’t expect much of a change in Cuba.

“It’s a formalization of the way things have been for the past year and a half there. Our hope, obviously, is that eventually, sooner than later, the island moves to freedom, democracy and the kind of liberty we enjoy here in America.”   says Crist.

Under legislation introduced today, scrap metal dealers will have to get thumb prints, photograph cars, and provide descriptions of people selling scrap metal such as copper or aluminum. Scrap metal prices have skyrocketed in recent years, making it profitable for thieves to raid air conditioners or cemeteries looking for metal to resell. State Senator Victor Crist says it has become almost epidemic.

“Mausoleums with 18,000 dollar bronze doors in cemeteries, they put them up and months later, the doors are gone. Plaques, memorializing loved ones, in cemeteries, dug up, stolen, gone. Air conditioning units, churches, nonprofits, schools, businesses torn out, metal taken from it and taken to recycle places.” said Crist.

The legislation would also make it a felony if a thief disrupts electrical power or phone service while trying to steal wire.

Children who are photographed in pornographic settings would be able to sue the people who take or even transmit their pictures. Legislation introduced today and supported by the Attorney General would provide settlements of up to $150,000 for each offense.  Maureen Horkan runs the Cyber Crime Unit in the Attorney General’s office and she says the pictures they find are too graphic to show in public.

“They contain penetration of small children by adults and objects. Children covered with feces. Children bound. Children being made to be tied and threatened with weapons. Children that in some of the images are crying. It is a horrific reality that is out there.”

While many who transmit child porn have no assets, many do. The Attorney General believes the legislation will result in payments to adults who where taken advantage of as children, but only if they come forward.

Governor Charlie Crist is planning on sending state lawmakers an optimistic message when he gives his annual state of the state address in early March. Crist met with reporters today to discuss his legislative priorities. They include expanded health care, education funding, and energy efficiency. Over all, the governor plans to say the State of the State is good.

“Florida is on a roll and we’re going to continue to be on a roll. We’ve got almost a 70 billion dollar budget, we’ve got a great economy, we’ve got a great climate and there’s no better place to be.”

The governor is recommending more than 40 million dollars for energy efficient programs and research.  He also expects the FCAT and Class Size to be issues lawmakers will deal with this year.

New legislation would make it a crime to take pictures of young children in suggestive poses. Some modeling agencies specialize in taking pictures of girls 13 and younger in suggestive clothing and post the pictures on the internet. Attorney General Bill McCollum calls the pictures a gateway to hard core pornography.

“We’re dealing with children being exploited and we’re dealing with the potential, especially for those who are viewing this material, that they’re going to whet their appetites by the erotic nature of these children, young children, in pictures and they’re going to want to get something more hardcore, more truly, technically pornographic and then act on it.”

The legislation utilizes the same standards that make it illegal to sell a Playboy or other such magazine to a minor.

After months of public comment and statewide debate over how evolution should be taught in Florida schools, a decision is on the horizon. Tuesday Florida’s Board of Education members will vote on whether or not to teach evolution as a fact or a theory. As Whitney Ray tells us, poor FCAT scores and low national science rankings have education leaders looking to make changes.

Hear it here: Board to Vote on New Evolution Standards

Classrooms across the state were empty for President’s Day. By the time students return, education leaders will be deciding how they learn about their past. The board of education is set to vote on changes to the way evolution is taught. Some science teachers said leaving evolution out of the classroom is hurting students.

“It’s very hard to teach good biological science without mentioning evolution,” Nicolas Daigle, a Leon County High School science teacher said in a January interview.

The board’s decision won’t change science books at North Florida Christian School, but the school’s president still opposes Darwin’s theory being taught as fact. Dr. Randy Ray said teaching evolution in public schools will cause religious students to make some tough decisions.

“When a young person is confronted with, ‘do I stand up for my faith or do I go for the better grade,’ and it’s a very difficult choice, that the state of Florida will put a young person,” said Ray.

Experts said Florida’s public schools aren’t making the grade. When it comes to national science standards Florida made an “F” in 2005.

“Nationally, Florida performance in science is relatively low,” said Department of Education spokeswoman Jennifer Fennell. “We’re really trying to look for world class standards that will get our students better prepared for college or the work force, whatever their next steps are.”

Board of Education members will vote on two proposals, one to teach Evolution as a scientific fact. The other would require evolution to be taught as a theory. Tuesday’s board meeting will start with a full hour of public testimony. The Department of Education added time for public comment, after hundred of people wrote letters and emails to the board about the issue.