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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.

Governor Charlie Crist will spend Memorial Day weekend in Arizona as the guest of the Presumptive GOP nominee, Sen. John McCain. Mitt Romney is also expected to be there and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, insiders say Crist is definitely on the short list to run as McCain’s Vice President.

Hear it Here: Crist on Short List for McCain’s VP

While winning Florida is considered a must for the GOP to win the Presidency, Democrats believe they can lose Florida as long as they win in Ohio.

Charlie Crist has been in office less than 2 years.

But a change in law this year would let Charlie Crist run for Vice President and keep the governor’s job if he loses. The law was crafted for just such a possibility. Florida’s Republican Party Chairman has said Crist is on a short list of two or three names for the job. Crist himself has been asked the question more than a dozen times. The answer is almost always the same.

“What I said before is the truth,” Crist said. “I’m focused on Florida. It’s very flattering to be in the discussion of it, but frankly, it’s premature. It’s not something I’m focused on, it’s not something I think about, and I’m working on being the best Governor I can”.

Patsy McConnell thinks the bipartisan Governor is a natural for the job.

“I’m a Democrat, but I think if McCain were elected, he would probably make a pretty good President, and that I think I can’t help but like Crist,” McConnell said.

And veteran Democratic strategist Jon Ausman says Crist on the ticket could make the Democrats job of winning in Florida that much harder.

“He could help, yes,” Ausman said. “Probably having a governor on the ticket is worth one to three points”.

The question John McCain must ask is whether having Crist on the ticket helps in other states or if helping him win Florida is enough.

While winning Florida is considered a must for the GOP to win the Presidency, Democrats believe they can lose Florida as long as they win in Ohio.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is reportedly on John McCain’s short list for the Vice Presidential slot. Crist will spend the weekend with McCain in Arizona at a Memorial Day BBQ. Florida law lets Crist keep his job if he accepts the offer and loses. Democratic insiders say having Crist on the ticket could make it harder for their nominee to win Florida, but Democratic National Committeeman Jon Ausman says a Crist win does not make winning the Presidency impossible.

“I also think that the Democratic nominee should pick Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, also a freshman governor like Governor Crist for exactly the same reason, so that Democrats could carry Ohio’s 20 electoral votes,” Ausman said. “It’s a trade-off. They can have Governor Crist for Florida, we’ll take Governor Strickland for Ohio. We’ll win the presidency, then we’ll get to keep Governor Crist here doing a fine job for Florida.”

The question for McCain with whether Crist will make a difference outside Florida and whether that matters.

There is another challenge to the Democratic National Committee’s continued refusal to seat Florida’s delegates this morning. A lawsuit was filed in Federal Court in Miami today by non committed super delegate State Senator Steve Geller, and two other super delegates, one each for Clinton and Obama. The difference between this suit and previously unsuccessful efforts is this suit claims the party has violated its own rules and has treated different states differently. The suit claims the national party did not sufficiently investigate how Florida came to have an early party as required by party rules, and that Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina all moved their primaries up before the agreed starting dates and were given a waiver, while Florida was not.

Soon people in Florida will be able to buy health insurance for about 150 bucks a month. Governor Charlie Crist signed his Cover Florida plan into law today. As Whitney Ray tells us, people living without insurance have mixed fillings about the plan.

Hear it here: Governor Signs Health Insurance Plan, Uninsured Wonder If They Can Afford It

Tattoo artist Grady Johnson has his own tattoo parlor, but he doesn’t have a health insurance plan.

“Its too expensive even owning your own business. It’s hard to pay for,” said Johnson.

While Grady’s work with ink hasn’t brought him enough fortune to buy health insurance, a different kind of ink, used by the Governor Wednesday, could do the trick. Crist signed a bill aimed at providing health insurance for 150 bucks a month. The idea is to offer bare bones coverage in order to lower cost.

The Governor’s been working out the details of the plan with eight different insurance companies. Florida has the 4th highest uninsured rate in the county, with nearly four million going without. Beautician Barbie Strickland is among the millions. She said 150 dollars is still too expensive.

“Starting out as a beautician, it’s kind of hard to make money,” said Strickland.

Amity Williams just received notice that her health insurance premium is going up. Williams said she would buy the Governor’s plan.

“I’m a healthy individual with no problems and I don’t see why I should have to pay exuberantly more for something I hardly use anyway,” said Williams.

Lawmakers and the Governor have decided the plan is a step in the right direction. Now it’s up to the state’s uninsured to decide. The earliest the Cover Florida plan could be available is January 2009.

The future is looking bright for the state’s third graders. Reading and math FCAT scores were released Wednesday. Results show 72 percent of the state’s third graders are reading at or above grade level and 76 percent are at or above the national level in Math. Both scores are up over last year. Department of Education Spokesman Tom Butler credits teachers for the increase.

“It’s a direct result of the hard work of our teachers. They’re doing a phenomenal job of preparing our students and making sure they’re able to progress to different grade levels and succeed in life,” said Butler.

Individual scores will be released to parents online Friday.

As Barack Obama kicked off his Florida tour, the state’s Republican Party leader took a few shots at the presidential hopeful. Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer said the state’s democratic delegate fight will hurt Obama in the general election. Obama signed an agreement not to campaign in Florida after the state was penalized for moving up its primary. Greer said voters won’t forget Obama’s pledge and extended a sarcastic welcome to the Democratic front runner.

“I want to welcome him back to Florida. I’m glad he found us on the map. And you know he hasn’t been here for a year and a half except to take our money,” said Greer.

Greer said attempts to spin a Senator John McCain presidency as four more years of George Bush won’t hurt McCain in November.

Governor Charlie Crist will travel to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. On Thursday, he will sign legislation that was the business community’s top priority in the 2008 session. The legislation uses almost two billion in excess pension funds to invest in the stock of companies who move to Florida. The Governor said the idea just makes sense.

“It’s important to grow our economy. I think the notion that Florida invest in Florida is terribly important. I think that Senator Ring understood that very well and I look forward to being with him tomorrow,” said Crist.

While in New York, the Governor will also participate in an adoption fundraising event.