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Florida’s driving population is getting older. By the year 2025, one in four drivers will be over the age of 65. As Whitney Ray tells us, AAA says the state’s not prepared to handle more senior drivers.

Hear it Here: AAA: Florida Should Prepare for Baby Boomer Drivers Getting Older

Sharon Moses just turned 65. She’s still driving but knows someday she may have to hang up her keys.

“I can remember my mother when she was still driving at 82 and it scared me to death and we finally had to take the car keys away from her,” says Moses.

Florida’s senior population is growing. About one in seven drivers is over the age of 65 but they’re responsible for about 15 percent of all fatal accidents.

By the year 2025, one in four drivers will be over the age of 65. The state may not be prepared for a major increase in older drivers. AAA says the state needs to test the mobility of everyone seeking a driver’s license.

“Mobility means your reflexes, your eyesight, your hearing, and so forth. Do you have any disabilities that could impair your driving,” said Brenda Smith, AAA Assistant Division Manager.

In Florida people can renew their driver’s license through the mail until they turn 80, after that a vision test is required for renewal. Not all seniors are against more testing.

“If it can be addressed as a safety measure only, I’m for it,” said senior driver Charles Menard.

The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles is looking at the possibility.

“There are cognitive issues that sometimes can become involved with our aging population and we are piloting some test looking at that,” said Selma Sauls with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If more seniors have to hang up their keys, AAA says they’ll face another problem, inadequate public transportation. Seniors in Florida are involved in fewer wrecks than teenage drivers, but they tend to have deadlier accidents because of their age and health issues.

Rising gas prices are changing people’s driving habits. Floridians are driving less and choosing more fuel efficient vehicles. Scooter sales are skyrocketing. According to a report released by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in 2007 Floridians bought 40 fewer gallons of gas than they did just a few years ago. Sarah Williams, A Florida Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman says less gas means less gas emissions.

“It means people are using less gasoline which means less emissions from their vehicles going into the air, which is good for our air quality for sure,” says Williams.

The report claims Floridians used 80 fewer gallons of gas in 2007 than during the peak oil years in the 70’s.

The Florida Attorney General’s office is investigating how children with learning disorders are treated in public schools. The investigation began in May after a St. Lucie teacher asked her students to vote on whether or not a 5 year-old autistic boy should stay in the classroom. The kid was voted out of the class. The teacher didn’t know the boy was autistic at the time. Attorney General spokeswoman Sandi Copes said since the investigation started they’ve received more complaints.

“We’ve received several complaints about the situation, not just the situation in St. Lucie County but from other parents who believe that their children may have been treated improperly so our office is conducting a through review of the entire situation,” said Copes.

The Family of the autistic boy has filed a lawsuit against the St. Lucie County School District.

While policy and policing agencies on the state and federal levels fight predatory lending and pass measures to stop the practice, little is being done for people whose homes are in jeopardy, until now. As Whitney Ray tells us, for many Floridians help is just a phone call away.

Hear it Here: Help, Just a Phone Call Away

There are ten numbers every Floridian facing foreclosure should know. The Florida Bar and Florida Legal Services have set up a hotline for people in danger of losing their homes. In just the eight short days since the Florida Foreclosure hotline went live program coordinator Tracy Brim has heard it all.

“A lot of it is loss of jobs or cut back in hours, several are just the economy. Prices have gotten so high they can’t afford it,” said Brim.

Florida has the second highest foreclosure rate in the nation. From late notices to actually losing a home, one out of every 200 properties has received some sort of Foreclosure notice.

Florida Legal Services wants to make sure people who can’t afford their mortgage payments or an attorney, get good legal advice Information from the hotline calls is matched with lawyers.

“It’s our hope that their attorney can negotiate with the lender and establish a meaningful workout where the home owner can save the home and not lose the home into foreclosure,” said Doinne Meyers the Flash Coordinator for Florida Legal Services.

More than a hundred people have already called the hotline and some of their stories are heartbreaking.

“She was a senior citizen, she’s worried about losing the home she’s been in 25 years,” said Brim.

The legal advice is free… but with 77,000 foreclosures and more on the way— the lawyers have their work cut out for them. The hotline number is 1-866-607-2187. Calls are taken during regular business hours and messages are returned within 24 hours.

Soon your state government could pay you for going green. The Governor’s Action team on energy and climate change met in Tallahassee Thursday. The action team is discussing ways to conserve energy and cut down on green house gas emissions. One idea is to offer tax breaks and grants to people who add solar panels and other green technologies to their homes. Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection Michael Sole said people can start doing things now to help save energy and the environment.

“This is a responsibility of every Floridian. The things that we can do at the home the things we can do at the office. How we use our vehicles to reduce the amount of driving, or improve our vehicles’ fuel efficiency. These are things we can do to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Sole.

The Action team will meet again in August. They will present their energy saving plan to the Governor in October.

Enrollment in Florida’s Public Schools is slowing. State economists are predicting fewer than 1,700 new students next year and flat growth for the 2009 school year. As Whitney Ray tells us, when schools stop growing the state’s economy suffers.

Hear it Here: School Enrollment Flat, State Economy Deflating

Children may be our future but they also tell us something about the present. In 2003, Florida’s public school system was busting at the seams, adding about 65,000 new students every year. In the past Florida Schools added portable classrooms to keep up with growth on campus. That could soon change.

For the past five years statewide growth has slowed. Now it’s flat which is bittersweet for the state’s financially strapped school system. Florida schools will add fewer than 1,700 new students next fall.

“It means we’re having to hire fewer teachers and having to build less classrooms,” said Wayne Blanton with the Florida School Boards Association.

But the news is bad for the state’s economy. Florida TaxWatch CEO Dominic Calabro said a decrease in student enrollment growth is a sign fewer working class families are moving to Florida and spending money.

“They bring with them a sense of purpose and work and sense of community. They’re very active. They have a lot of transactions,” said Calabro.

One reason the number of students hasn’t declined more is that many working families are unable to sell their homes and move. The Education Estimating Conference will meet again Friday to decide how many students might enroll in the Florida Public School system in the 2009 – 2010 school year.

Millions of Medicare dollars were wrongfully shelled out to some Florida doctors, the catch the doctors were dead. A Senate Committee released a report highlighting a nationwide scam in which some people were using Medicare ID’s from deceased doctors to file claims. Medicare shelled out nearly a hundred million dollars to claims made with the ID cards. About 500 fraudulent claims were filed and paid in Florida to the tune of more than two million bucks. Governor Charlie Crist says it’s hard to believe people would steal from Medicare.

“It’s hard to imagine that somebody would want to steal that badly that they would literally steal not only money but health care that would be going to someone legitimately,” said Crist.

Up until the investigation, one in four deceased doctors in Florida still had working Medicare ID.

Governor Charlie Crist is planning a trip overseas to entice foreign companies to invest in Florida. Crist will leave on the 12-day trade mission Friday. He’ll visit London, Paris, Madrid and Russia. Crist will focus on business development and climate change while overseas. The Florida Governor says he hopes his trip will generate economic growth and jobs for the state’s unemployed.

“I’m trying to get them employed, that’s exactly why I’m going. To try to generate more business more investment, more entrepreneurship from these countries that have been very good friends to Florida in the past and express that gratitude and continue to encourage their investment and employment of our fellow Floridians,” said Crist.

He will take his fiancée Carole Rome with him on the trip.

The Department of Corrections is reevaluating its inmate labor policies after a correctional officer was killed by a prisoner in a work program. Last month correctional officer Donna Fitzgerald was stabbed to death by an inmate at Tomoka Correctional Institute. The inmate was serving two life sentences and working in a program aimed at teaching inmates skills they can use when they leave prison. The inmate made a shank out of a piece of sheet metal and hid in a work closet. When the officer Fitzgerald found the inmate he stabbed her to death. Executive Director of the Florida Police Benevolence Association Dave Murrell said inmates serving life sentences shouldn’t be allowed to enroll in labor programs.

“It makes no sense to put a violent person serving a life sentence in a position like that, especially dealing with heavy metals that they could make weapons. Apparently he did that and killed Officer Fitzgerald,” said Murrell. “The whole policy needs to be changed. Lifers don’t need to be involved in that program.”

The Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating Fitzgerald’s death.

School grades released today suggest Florida’s schools are doing better than they were a year ago. But teachers are being laid off because of budget cuts and as Whitney Ray tells us, the future of Education in the sunshine state may not be so bright.

Hear it Here: Report Card Released, Some Schools Make the Grade, Others Fail

Kristen Roberts’ 6 year-old daughter would be in private school if her public school wasn’t making the grade.

“Since the grade is high up where we live that was definitely part of our decision making process, we factored that in,” said Roberts.

The Florida Department of Education released its annual report grading schools based on FCAT results. More than half of the state’s schools received A’s. Overall grades were better this year than they were a year ago.

Five of the state’s worst schools were able to turn their programs around and raise their grades from an F to an A.

A four billion dollar state budget shortfall put a huge dent in education funding. Teachers are being laid off and programs are being cut. Even the state Commissioner of Education said schools need more money.

“Good student achievement does require a financial commitment that will need to be recovered at some point in the future, but I think this year you’re going to see the continued kind of effort you’ve seen in the past in Florida, that we’re going to move ahead and I’m very optimistic about next years results,” said Eric Smith, the state Commissioner of Education.

Florida’s School Boards Association isn’t as upbeat.

“We’re laying off people who working with our students everyday to improve the grades. I don’t think you can continue to see this as a trend of schools going up if there’s not additional funding coming from the legislature,” said Wayne Blanton with the Florida School Boards Association.

If scores drop, job growth may slow because of new businesses not willing to gamble on a state with failing schools. Last year more than 80 Florida schools received F’s. This year just 45 received a failing grade. If you want to see if your child’s school made the grade go to http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org

A new law continues to create havoc across the state. For eight days now Floridians with gun licenses have been allowed to keep their guns locked in their cars while at work. They also have the right to keep their employers from searching their vehicles to look for firearms. Before the law took affect the Florida Chamber of Commerce filed for an injunction to keep the law from taking effect. Disney says its exempts from the law because of a loophole. Disney has a license to store fireworks. The law allows exemptions for business that deal with explosives. According to reports, Disney fired an employee who didn’t let them search his car for guns. NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer said Disney isn’t above this law.

“I don’t believe Disney has the exemption they’re claiming. I have talked to many legislatures who say there was never any intention to exempt Disney in anyway so it’s going to play out in the Attorney General’s office,” said Hammer.

The Attorney General has received about 20 complaints against Disney. Attorney General Spokeswoman Sandi Copes said her office is still investigating the situation.

“Consumers are bringing their concerns to our attention and we’re taking a look at them. You have to keep in mind that there is currently a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the statute, so we’re keeping an eye on all the factors involved in this case before we make a decision,” said Copes.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is challenging the law in court. Chief Strategist for the Florida Chamber Dan Krassner said the law is confusing.

“Clearly this is an irrational law. There is confusion across the state. The Florida Chamber of Commerce advises businesses and our members to consult with their HR and their legal professionals to interpret how this might impact their businesses on a case by case basis,” said Krassner.

A ruling on the injunction filed by the Chamber is expected to come down sometime during the next two weeks.

A massive campaign aimed at making Heath Care the number one issue in this year’s election kicked off nationwide today. Several unions and groups are joining forces in the 40 million dollar effort. Health Care for America Now wants health care costs lowered. Television spots began running in some media markets today. Rich Templin is a spokesman for the group. Templin hopes every candidate will start talking about lowering health care cost.

“The purpose of HCAN is to make this the dominate issue. It’s not to make it the third the fourth, the fifth question to presidential candidate in the debate, but to make it the first second and third question in the debate and all the other races being held around the country for congress,” said Templin.

The group says it’s nonpartisan and doesn’t support either presidential candidate.

Governor Charlie Crist talked at length with reporters at the state air pool Monday afternoon about his pending marriage to Carole Rome. Where will they live…Miami, St. Pete, or of course, the People’s House. Will the kids be with them? Some of the time. Even the Governor chuckled on one of the questions from Miami Herald reporter Mark Caputo.

Here the entire interview here

Thousands of Floridians maybe eligible to vote in November and don’t know it. Ex-felon’s who’ve had their civil rights restored can register to vote but as Whitney Ray tells us, many of them don’t know it.

Hear it Here: From Behind Bars to Ballot Boxes

It’s possible more ex-felon’s will cast ballots in this presidential election than in any other election in state history. Thousands of ex-felons are eligible to vote but they don’t know it.

The governor signed an order last year to automatically restore the right for some nonviolent offenders.

Since then more than a hundred thousand ex-felons have had their civil rights restored but many of them haven’t been notified. Jane Tillman, a spokeswoman for the Florida Parole Commission, says the commission is trying to break the good news to former felons but sometimes they have old contact information and funds are tight.

“We don’t have any money. So we’re trying to be as creative with less money and still get the message out there,” said Tillman.

The commission is reaching out to ex-felons through conferences and public service posters. Reggie Mitchell works with the People for the American Way Foundation. The foundation is devoted to helping former offenders get back on their feet.

“If you get people back into the pipeline, if you get them registered to vote, you’re recidivism rate drops tremendously, so they’re less likely to victimize other people,” said Mitchell.

Both political parties would like to see the newly registered cast ballots for their candidate.

“Democracy doesn’t categorize voters, if you’re eligible to vote and participate, we’re going to be out there reaching out to you and spreading the message,” said Jim Greer with the Republican Party of Florida.

Written reports suggest presidential hopeful Barack Obama would benefit most from the state’s ex-felon vote. People for the American Way Foundation has set up a database for ex-felons to check and see if they’ve had their rights restored. The database is at www.restoremyvote.org

The fate of high stakes Black Jack and other card games at Indian Casino’s remain up in the air tonight. Tribal leaders arrived at their Tallahassee attorney’s office this morning to discuss options following last Thursday’s State Supreme Court ruling that said Charlie Crist should have consulted state lawmakers before allowing gambling at Indian casinos. The issue is games not allowed anywhere else in Florida. Seminole Tribal Attorney Barry Richard says the Federal Government may let the games continue until state lawmakers have had a chance to decide if they want to honor the deal the governor cut last November.

Listen to the Full Barry Richard Interview Here