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A two year battle over gun rights is pitting two of Florida’s most power groups, the NRA and Florida Businesses, against each other. The issue is over whether you can have a legal firearm in your car while you are at work. As Whitney Ray tells us, a similar bill was voted down last year, but legislators have revamped it for the March session.

Hear it here: Gun Battle Pits NRA Against Florida Chamber

Businesses across the state want to keep guns out of workplace parking lots. Proposed legislation would allow people to keep legal guns in their cars while they were at work. The Florida Chamber of Commerce hates the idea.

“This is an attack on the property rights of every Floridian the people
who put their risk capital at work everyday,” Said Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson.

Former NRA President Marion Hammer is pushing the legislation.

“When someone searches your car, that’s a violation of your constitutional right to privacy,” said Hammer. “If someone tells you, you can’t have a fire arm inside your personal vehicle in a public access parking lot their further violating your right to keep and bare arms.”

Republican Senator Charlie Dean is a member of the NRA. He opposes the bill. Dean said NRA leaders are out of touch with what members want.

“It’s much more of an issue, sometimes, with ego than it is with leadership
than it is a critical issue with our membership,” said Dean.

“Senator Dean needs to read his e-mail. He needs to read some of our e-mails. He needs to talk to some of the attorneys that call us because people’s rights are being violated,” said Hammer.

Both the NRA and the Florida Chamber are so adamant that compromise isn’t in the air, which will force lawmakers to choose between two of the state’s most powerful groups. Last year’s proposed bill protected all legal material left in employees’ vehicles. This year it was changed to just cover guns.

Florida Democrats continue to hold out hope that the voices of their 210
delegates will be heard at the National Convention in Denver this
summer. Some party insiders are urging the party to hold a separate caucus vote to select the delegates, which would be legal under party rules. But party Chairwoman Karen Thurman says 1.7 million Democrats went to the polls last week and it would not be fair to them to hold another election.

“1.72 million Democrats, 42 percent, the highest ever, came out and voiced their opinion. When we go to Denver and have the opportunity to express it, it will be because it’s the will of the people in Florida,” said Thurman. “I can’t believe that there is not a reason why, for our democracy and for everything we believe in, that we would not want those votes counted.”

Democrats will caucus at the Congressional District level March 1st to apportion delegates based on how many votes a candidate got in the particular district.

Florida Senators say they don’t like the answers they got from Insurance company executives earlier this week. The executives were called to Tallahassee and put under oath over why rates have not gone down. Key Senators are now debating their next move. Governor Charlie Crist continues to say some companies are behaving unethically.

“There could be legal action taken as well. I think that the Senate obviously is infuriated. I know that they are. As are members of the House and this administration. I think that the actions that have been taken by some in the property insurance industry in Florida, it’s unjustifiable, it’s unconscionable,” said Crist.

The two days of testimony uncovered the fact that several companies were relying on a short term model which has not been approved for use.

“Shocked like everyone else” is how Governor Charlie Crist described his reaction to news DCF spokesman Al Zimmerman was arrested on child pornography charges. The arrest happened over the weekend, but Thrusday was the first chance for reporters to directly ask the governor how he came to give Zimmerman a reference for the DCF job.

One reporter asked, “How did you name end up on his resume as the first reference?”

“Probably because he asked me and I said yes. He was a journalist in
Tampa Bay and I knew him,” Crist said. He added that he didn’t know Zimmerman very well.

DCF failed to run a full background check on Zimmerman when he was hired, in part because he had no direct supervision over children. Had the check been run, it would have found a DUI and bad check charges, but no crimes against children. The agency is now in the process of manually checking more than 13,000 hires.

House leaders in Tallahassee are challenging Governor Charlie Crist’s reliance on more than a 150 million dollars from gambling to fund the state budget. House Speaker Marco Rubio told business leaders the gambling money ”was the easy way out”. Crist, however, said his use of funds from a compact with the Seminole tribe was prudent.

“I think we put forward a responsible budget that contemplates the fact
that we want to support education and the most vulnerable among us,” said Crist

The House and Senate filed suit in the Supreme Court, arguing the governor had no authority to allow the tribe to engage in gambling that was illegal anywhere else in Florida.

Governor Charlie Crist waited until the final hours before the Florida Primary to endorse John McCain. That endorsement is given credit by many insiders for pushing the Arizona Senator over the top. Thursday, Mitt Romney, who was expected to win Florida until the endorsement, dropped out. Crist says it was the right thing to do.

“I think it would be the right thing to do. He’s a smart man and I have enormous respect for Governor Romney. I think that would be best for the party and best for the country.”

Crist has been rumored to be on a short list of viable Vice Presidential
Candidates for McCain, but with Romney out of the race, Mike Huckabee,
the only remaining challenger to McCain moves up on the list of potential VP’s.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce says people want more property tax cuts. Member of the chamber held a press conference Thursday to announce their 2008 legislative priorities. Commercial property insurance and smarter growth management were just a few of the goals. Chamber members say 6 out 10 voters have no clue about some of Florida’s laws. Many don’t know the laws allow some types of assessments on insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses. Florida’s Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson said Florida is in critical need of economic growth and more property tax relief.

“It’s not fair that the government has such a high standard when they value our properties. We believe that property owners should at least have a 50/50 chance. We have high hopes that that will be taken up by the legislature and dealt with in short order,” Wilson said.

In addition to property and tax issues the chamber’s agenda also includes important reforms such as constitutional amendment reform, insurance energy solutions and transportation.

Governor Charlie Crist waited until the final hours before the Florida Primary to endorse John McCain. That endorsement is given credit by many insiders for pushing the Arizona Senator over the top. Today, Mitt Romney, who was expected to win Florida until the endorsement, dropped out. Crist says it was the right thing to do.

“I think it would be the right thing to do,” Crist said. “He’s a smart man and I have enormous respect for Governor Romney. I think that would be best for the party and best for the country.”

Crist has been rumored to be on a short list of viable Vice Presidential Candidates for McCain, but with Romney out of the race, Mike Huckabee, the only remaining challenger to McCain moves up on the list of potential VP’s.

“Shocked like everyone else”  is how governor Charlie Crist described his reaction to news DCF spokesman Al Zimmerman was arrested on child pornography charges. The arrest happened over the weekend, but today was the first chance for reporters to directly ask the governor how he came to give Zimmerman a reference for the DCF job.

How did you name end up on his resume as the first reference?

“Probably because he asked me and I said yes. He was a journalist in Tampa Bay and I knew him,” Crist answered.

How well?

“Not that well,” Crist replied.

DCF failed to run a full background check on Zimmerman when he was hired, in part because he had no direct supervision over children. Had the check been run, it would have found a DUI and bad check charges, but no crimes against children. The agency is now in the process of manually checking more than 13 thousand hires.

Florida Senators say they don’t like the answers they got from Insurance company  executives earlier this week. The executives were called to Tallahassee and put under oath over why rates have not gone down. Key Senators are now  debating their next move.  Governor Charlie Crist continues to say some companies are behaving unethically.

“There could be legal action taken as well,” Crist said. “I think that the Senate obviously is infuriated. I know that they are. As are members of the House and this administration. I think that the actions that have been taken by some in the property insurance industry in Florida, it’s unjustifiable, it’s unconscionable.”

The two days of testimony uncovered the fact that several companies were relying on a short term model which has not been approved for use.

House leaders in Tallahassee are challenging Governor Charlie Crist’s reliance on more than a 150 million dollars from gambling to fund the state budget. House Speaker Marco Rubio told business leaders the gambling money ”was the easy way out”. Crist, however, says his use of funds from a compact with the Seminole tribe was prudent.

“I think we put forward a responsible budget that contemplates the fact that we want to support education and the most vulnerable among us,” Crist said.

-Are you concerned that there seems to be a wide lack of support for that sort of thing, among, at least House Republicans?

“I’m not that concerned,” Crist said.

The House and Senate filed suit in the Supreme Court, arguing the governor had no authority to allow the Tribe to engage in gambling that was illegal anywhere else in Florida.

Florida Democrats continue to hold out hope the voices of their 210 delegates will be heard at the National Convention in Denver this summer. Some party insiders are urging the party to hold a separate caucus vote to select the delegates, which would be legal under party rules. But party Chairwoman Karen Thurman says 1 point 7 million Democrats went to the polls last week and it would not be fair to them to hold another election.

“1.72 million Democrats, 42 percent, the highest ever, came out and voiced their opinion,” Thurman said. “When we go to Denver and have the opportunity to express it, it will be because it’s the will of the people in Florida. And I can’t believe that there is not a reason why, for our democracy and for everything we believe in, that we would not want those votes counted.”

Democrats will caucus at the Congressional District level March 1st to apportion delegates based on how many votes a candidate got in the particular district.

School Administrators across the state are challenging penalties stemming from the class-size amendment. They say the penalties make it harder to meet the student to teacher ratio. Some state legislators agree. As Whitney Ray tells us, the financial penalties come while administrators are worried about how amendment one will affect their budgets.

Hear it here: School Administrators, Lawmakers Say Class Size Amendment is Unfair

The class size amendment is meant to improve education in the state of Florida.
Some school administrators say the law is making it harder for them to meet student’s needs. Bond Elementary School in Leon County is one of more than 30 schools that have more students than the law allows. Now Administrators will have to take 13,000 dollars slated to pay teachers and use it for construction.

“Our newest elementary school, state of the art, doesn’t need bricks and mortar, it needs the teacher,” Leon County School District Associate Superintendent Dr. Marvin Henderson.

Senate Education Chairman Don Gaetz said the penalties written into law are ridiculous.

“This amendment is requiring Florida tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars to build classes we don’t need and hire teachers we don’t want,” said Gaetz.

Administrators say the penalties couldn’t come at a worse time. They still have concerns about how amendment one will affect their budgets.

Leon County is challenging the penalties. Henderson said the fine is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

“We still have to meet that mandate, and we’re going to have to find the dollars to do this in other places, so it doesn’t help our situation at all,” said Henderson.

Approved in 2002, Floridians may have another change to vote on the class size amendment this fall. In January, The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission voted to propose a new amendment that would allow more flexibility to the existing law.

A state senator wants his gambling bill approved before the Florida Supreme Court makes a ruling on the Seminole compact. Senator Steve Geller is proposing a bill to clarify who has the power to approve a compact. Right now the law gives the right to the “State”. Geller said Governor Charlie Crist misinterpreted the law when he signed the gambling pact with the Seminole tribe. Geller has been trying to get his bill passed for six years.

“The governor’s office has taken the position, ‘we’ll the legislature had the opportunity to do this and they didn’t, there for it doesn’t matter to them,’” said Geller. “Well if we sent the bill over before the Supreme Court enters its ruling, I think that could influence their ruling.”

Five other states have filed lawsuits similar to the one heard in the Florida Supreme Court. In each case the courts ruled in favor of the legislature.

A Florida Group focused on helping kids wants to make sure the Department of Juvenile Justice is able to follow through with its recommendations. Tuesday the department released its Blue Print Commission report. The report offers 52 recommendations to change the state’s juvenile justice system. The Network of Youth and Family Services held a press conference to offer its suggestions on how to make the recommendations a reality. The Commission outlined a five point action plan and pointed out the state’s short comings.

“We don’t invest in early childhood education, we don’t invest enough in things like kid care, we don’t invest in after school programs, and so those investments aren’t made and problems develop and as a state we’re going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars even billions of dollars throughout the state budget to address problems that could have been prevented,” Roy Miller, President Children’s Campaign.

Eighty five percent of the states youth services come from the private sector not the state.