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Florida Power and Light is asking the state for a double digit rate hike.

If approved FPL customers will see an average increase of 12 dollar on their electric bills starting in January. The increase would bring an extra 1.3 billion dollars into the company. Consumer groups are asking the state to deny the increase. AARP spokeswoman Laura Cantwell says the increase would force some seniors to make tough decisions.

“We feel that we need to question Florida Power and Light’s request to increase their profits right now. Florida Power and Light has a guaranteed rate of return of investments, yet they are asking to dig deeper into the pockets of Floridians and seniors, many of whom have lost their retirement savings,”

The Florida Public Service Commission will host several public hearings before it votes on the increase.

Business owners will soon be paying more to help keep up with the cost of double digit unemployment. With 10.2 percent of Florida’s workforce looking for jobs the state is burning through money to pay unemployment claims. As Whitney Ray tells us, the state will borrow money from the federal government and raise business taxes to keep money flowing to qualified job seekers.

Florida prints 65 million dollars in unemployment checks every week. There’s 460 million dollars left in a state fund to pay claims. The money will run out in August, and the state will have to ask Uncle Sam for help.

“Traditionally the unemployment compensation trust fund is funded through employer contributions. Any advances that we seek right now will come through the federal compensation trust fund,” said AWI Spokesman Robby Cunningham.

Even though the loan will come from the feds, employers will still have to cough up some extra cash. Right now business owners pay taxes on the first 7,000 dollars of each of their employees’ salaries. Starting in January the taxable amount will increase to 8,500 dollars.

Which means a business with 10 employees will see an average increase of about 200 bucks a year, although some will pay more. The percentage each business pays fluctuates between one and five percent. The Florida Chamber of Commerce supports the increase because it will keep money in the consumers’ hands.

“The good thing about the unemployment trust fund is, for every dollar paid out a $1.64 comes back to our state’s economy, so business owners are hoping to get a return on that investment,” said Chamber Spokesman Dan Krassner.

The tax increase is set to expire in 2015 or when the state’s unemployment compensation fund is replenished. The Florida Department of Revenue will print the changes to the unemployment tax base in a handbook for small businesses expected to be available later this summer.

Before the week is out, Governor Charlie Crist must make a decision on the most watched bill of the legislative session.  House Bill 1171 is an effort to keep State Farm in Florida by letting large insurance companies set their own rates. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the governor faces the unenviable choice of angering hundreds of thousands of state farm customers, or potentially running new start up companies out of business.

It is called the consumer choice act. House Bill 1171 would let well-funded insurance companies bid for your business. State Farm agent Kathy Fain says consumers could decide if the price was worth the coverage.

“If you don’t want to pay the rates by a de-regulated company, then shop somewhere else,” Fain said. “Go somewhere else.”

The measure was designed to keep State Farm writing policies in Florida. The company plans to stop writing a million of them over the next two years. In a letter to the governor last week, it said it would reevaluate its options if HB 1171 becomes law.

Insurance regulators say the companies are offering no guarantees.

“Neither state farm nor any other insurance company in Florida has come to the commissioner and indicated that they plan to offer policies or stay in the state of Florida if HB1171 becomes law,” Ed Domanksy with the Office of Insurance Regulation said.

A State Farm corporate spokesman declined to comment for this story. Read between the lines that they don’t want to say anything to anger the governor.

Agent Dick Franklin says his future may be in the governors hands.

“We realize that Governor Crist is politically the most powerful man in the state and we ask for him to make the right choice for the citizens of the state,” Franklin said.

But, hedging her bets, Kathy Fain’s new bill boards offer great rates on auto insurance, but there’s no mention of homeowners.

The Office of Insurance Regulation has told the governor the legislation could put many of the 40 new companies writing insurance in Florida at a disadvantage. So far, the governor has sent signals he is leaning toward a veto. He has until June 27th to act.

State lawmakers authorized the state pension fund to use up to two billion dollars for investment in companies here in Florida or ready to move here. The bill was enacted in 2008,and as Mike Vasilinda tells us the first 250 million dollars is ready to be invested in companies who will create and attract high tech jobs.

The sights are being set high. The 250 million will be invested in companies who build things like this robotic dog, this unmanned helicopter, or this unmanned aircraft with flexible wings. The aircraft is the direct result of technology developed by the University of Florida.

“This plane is smart,” Bryan DeFrota with Priroia Robotics said. “It Flies and it’s capable of seeing obstacles, it’s capable of autonomously tracking targets.”

State officials announced the fund Friday morning…just an hour before new numbers showed unemployment increasing. Attorney General Bill McCollum says new job creation won’t be immediate.

“As far as larger numbers of jobs are concerned, they’re going to be seen for Florida as these young companies grow over the next 3, 4, 5,10 years,” McCollum said.

To make sure the politics don’t influence who gets the cash, the state’s hired a respected money manager to handle the fund.

The pension fund is also not looking to be a charity…but to make money.

“We seek a premium return on investments of this nature,” Ash Williams with the state board of administration said. “They’re less liquid, and for that reason as an investor we want to get paid more to make those investments. I think that’s what our beneficiaries deserve and expect.”

Lawmakers have authorized up to one and a half percent or abo two billion dollars of the pension fund for Florida investment.

Florida’s unemployment rate is now in the double digits at 10.2 percent. The last time the state’s jobless rate was higher was 1975. Nearly a million Floridians are searching for jobs and as Whitney Ray tells us, more are headed to the unemployment line.

Carlos’ Cuban Café has been feeding hungry Floridians since 1997, but Friday night the restaurant will serve its last meal.

“The economy’s down, cost is up,” said Anne Pla.

When the restaurant closes eight more people will be added to the state’s growing unemployment ranks.

“I’ve not found another job yet,” said Bartender Ami Pla.

Unemployment in Florida is 10.2 percent a 34 year high.

“Florida’s unemployment rate is higher than that of the nation and our rate of job decline is also more severe than that of the nation,” said Rebecca Rust, AWI’s Chief Economist.

950,000 people in the state are looking for work. Many Floridians are giving up the job search and going into business for themselves.

Hotdog vender Vic Crosby has seen his competition increase, but the number of people in need of a cheap lunch is also increasing.

“It all really comes down to people not wanting to spend the money that they normally would,” said Crosby.

And until people start spending more, the jobless rate could continue to grow. The statistics show a loss of 61,000 jobs in Florida from April to May.

100 Foster kids, many who’ve never been part of a family or gone to camp, are spending the week learning leadership skills at the state’s National Guard Training Facility at Camp Blanding. And as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the goal is to give these kids hope for the future.

It is a week these foster kids may never forget.

“Yeah [I want to do it again]. It was awesome,” Treyvon from Tampa said.

There is rock climbing and a ropes course.

At every step: encouragement

“Yeah, I’m proud of myself,” Olivia from St. Petersburg said.

The toughest test? Repelling down a 50-foot wall.

If that doesn’t give you confidence, nothing will.

The camp idea is the brain child of Children and Families Secretary George Sheldon.

“The fact that the kids can do this, really shows how you can overcome your fear,” DCF Secretary George Sheldon said.

and Football star and scholar Myron Rolle.

“Regardless of if you don’t have a stable family, regardless of people pointing a finger at you and saying you can’t do it, that you’re not supposed to do it, that you’re going to be a statistic, that, you know, 90 percent of foster kids don’t make it, look that in the eye, push it aside, and continue to move forward,” Rolle said. “That’s what I’m hoping to instill.”

Myron’s message and the example he’s setting seems to be getting through to kids like James from West Palm Beach.

“It seems like he hasn’t had the perfect life either, so I could see how I could do the same things as him,” James from West Palm Beach said.

In the end, some of these kids may still end up a statistic, but for others, they may just learn the leadership tools to be different.

The $150,000 cost of the camp was covered by donations to the Myron Rolle Foundation and corporate contributions.

An increasing number of kids are turning to schools and charities for meals. 600 million federal dollars have been spent to feed kids in Florida though the National School Lunch Program. As Whitney Ray tells us the state will need 62 million more to keep up with the demand.

Florida schools serve free and reduced lunches to kids from low income families.

But even though the school playgrounds and classrooms are empty the need is still there.

A delivery truck brings boxed lunches to kids at this Boys and Girls Club. During the summer charities help serve meals to hungry kids. As the economy sours the Boys and Girls Club is seeing a spike in kids needing food.

“This is my third summer here. The first summer we averaged about 115. This year we are up in the 135, 140,” said Charles Smith.

The state draws down federal money to repay charities feeding kids. The program has already burned through its budget for the program and needs 62 million more dollars to keep going.

“This is a federal program and it’s a reimbursement program. So how the process works is, these sites are set up, they have the dollars they need to provide meals right now and then they submit a reimbursement request,” said Erin Geraghty, a spokesperson with the Department of Education.

Regional President of the Boys and Girls Clubs Buddy Streit said without the free meals some kids would go without.

“Certainly there are some of our kids in the Boys and Girls Club that won’t have any food until the next day when they come back to us,” said Streit.

In Florida 1.4 million kids qualify for free and reduced lunches and the number is growing. The state set up 30 new feeding sites this summer to keep up with the need.

Tuition will increase by the maximum amount allowed under a new law passed by the Florida legislature.

In May lawmakers gave the state’s university system the authority to raise tuition up to 15 percent a year. Thursday the University System’s Board of Governor’s approved the increase for all 11 of Florida’s public universities. The Florida Chamber of Commerce supports the increase. Chamber spokesman David Daniel said the increase will actually help some low income student attend college.

“It takes the money from the tuition differential, the increase in the tuition and it applies it to education enhancements that benefits the students directly. In addition it sets aside millions of dollars in need based scholarships for those who can’t afford to go to college and so in addition to creating some educational enhancement, to creating a talented work force for Florida employers, it also creates millions of dollars in need based scholarships,” said Daniel.

The increase will go into effect in the fall. It will cost students on average an extra 400 dollars the first year.

Hometown Democracy, a group trying to limit development has won a signature battle in the Florida Supreme Court.

Business groups pushed legislation allowing people to withdraw their signatures, but the Florida Supreme Court says once a petition has been signed and validated, it can’t be recalled. The amendment will now appear on the 2010 Ballot. It would require voters to have the final say-so on changes to local comprehensive plans that are currently approved by city and county governments. Florida Chamber of Commerce spokesman Adam Babington said the amendment is a bad idea.

“Hometown Democracy directly attacks the root of representative democracy. The people of the state of Florida elect the representatives to make decisions for them. If the people aren’t happy with the decisions the representatives are making they have the opportunity to vote them out of office.”

60 percent of voters will have to vote in favor of the amendment in order for it to become law.

Florida is receiving 13 billion federal stimulus dollars to build roads, feed seniors and save jobs. But 3.4 million of Florida’s cut is going to build a tunnel to help turtles cross a busy highway. As Whitney Ray tells us the turtle tunnel has some taxpayers outraged.

US Highway 27 near Tallahassee is said to be the deadliest road in the world; that is for turtles. The highway divides two lakes. The turtles use one for nesting.

Dr. Matt Aresco has been on a 10 year mission to help the turtles cross the road. His hard work will pay off this September, when 3.4 million federal stimulus dollars will be spent to build a tunnel under the highway.

“Even if you are not in favor of wildlife conservation, which a major part of this project is, would you want to hit a 400 lbs alligator with your car at night or have a turtle the size of a cinder block come through your windshield,” asked Aresco.

Pace Allen, a member of several anti-tax groups says the turtle tunnel is a waste of money.

“It’s outrageous, unbelievable, but I think there is a real opportunity for people to standup and say look at this example our governments, federal, state and local are totally out of control,” said Allen.

The turtle tunnel is just one of more than 520 road and bridge projects the state plans to spend build with stimulus dollars. Leon County Commissioner Cliff Thaell said the project will create jobs.

“We have a lot of people hungry for work and ready to earn a living. This job is going to put people back to work and put food on their table,” said Thaell.

The Turtle tunnel made a list of 100 questionable spending projects released by Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn. The list was sent submitted to the president’s office, which responded by calling the report “flawed.”

Florida State University is laying off employees and cutting programs to deal with a 56 million dollar budget reduction.

The FSU Board of trustees voted to cut 400 positions and 17 programs. The cuts come on top of three straight years of budget reductions. FSU President TK Wetherell said the cuts would be worse if it weren’t for stimulus dollars.

“We will maximize the use of the stimulus dollars for the next two years. At the end of the third year, we will be a balanced budget. Overall, we lost about 400 hundred positions this year, about 650 in the last two years. We believe that we’ve protected the integrity, academic integrity, financial integrity of the institution. That’s something we want to do. But, we have a balanced budget and we’ll move ahead,” said Wetherell.

Part of the three year budget plan will require FSU’s Panama City campus to become financially independent from the main campus.

The state is burning through money to pay unemployment claims. There is 534 million dollars in the unemployment compensation trust fund but the state is paying out 65 million dollars a week. As Whitney Ray tells us, the fund could be dry by August and the state will have to borrow money from the federal government to pay claims.

With nearly a million Floridians out of work, the state’s ability to pay unemployment claims is wearing thin. By August the unemployment compensation fund will run dry and the state will have to borrow money from the Federal government to pay claims.
“There will be no lapse in benefits. Everyone will receive their benefits who is entitled to them,” said Robby Cunningham with the Agency for Workforce Innovation.

Uncle Sam isn’t the only one coming to the rescue. Florida Businesses will also be paying higher taxes to help replenish the fund. The Florida Chamber of Commerce supports the tax increase because it puts money into the hands of consumers.

“The good news here is that for every one dollar in unemployment compensation benefits paid out to Floridians, $1.64 comes back to our state’s economy. So we’re going to see small businesses benefit from claims that are paid out,” said Dan Krassner, a spokesman with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

The state’s ability to pay claims could have been strengthened during session. Lawmakers left nearly half a million federal stimulus dollars on the table that could have been used to pay unemployment claims.

House Democrats are furious legislative leaders didn’t take the money.

“There was no reason to leave 400 million dollars on the table. There is no reason to allow the unemployment funds to just evaporate and run out. That’s wrong. That’s immoral. That’s disgraceful,” said House Democrat Marty Kiar.

Lawmakers turned down the free federal dollars, and the state will borrow the money and pay it back. Fifteen other states are already receiving money from the Federal Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund. The money is interest free until January of 2011.

The state will soon be able to keep better track of sex offenders because of legislation the governor signed Tuesday.

Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation requiring all people arrested on felony charges to submit DNA samples to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Database. Another bill Crist signed will require sex offenders to register their phone numbers with the state. House Democrat Marty Kiar sponsored the legislation and said the new law will also help the state keep a closer eye on online predators.

“It requires individuals to register as sexual offenders or sexual predators if they solicit unlawful sexual activity with a minor over the internet, the telephone or by other means and they go meet the minor for the purpose of engaging in that activity,” said Kiar.

Another bill Crist signed Tuesday would require people who are involved in multiple car wrecks to take driving courses.

The oil industry is disputing claims against offshore drilling made by US Senator Bill Nelson.

Nelson is touring the Florida coastline speaking out against a congressional measure to drill for oil 10 miles from Florida’s Gulf Coast. Nelson says drilling that close to shore would jeopardize national security by shutting down military bases near the coast. Nelson also says drilling wouldn’t lower gas prices. David Mica with the Florida Petroleum Council said the state would see a huge economic impact from offshore oil drilling.

“We disagree strongly with the regards to the economic impact that our activities have across the board to the consumers. We are talking about jobs, we’re talking about paying additional taxes, we are talking about American energy that is good in its own right,” said Mica.

Senator Nelson says if the drilling bill makes it to the Senate floor he will filibuster to postpone a vote.

A 9-year-old boy in Miami Dade county has become the state’s first swine flu fatality. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, state health officials continue to emphasize prevention and treatment if you feel ill.

Health officials are saying little specific about why swine flu claimed the life of a 9-year-old boy in Miami Dade County.

“The young man passed away and the initial diagnosis is from Swine Flu, H1N1 swine flu,” Doc Kokol with the Florida Department of Health said. “We do want to let folks know that there may have been some underlying health issues with this case as well.”

The Death is Florida’s first, but the 45th in the nation. The governor sent his condolences to the family.

“It’s a tremendous tragedy,” Governor Charlie Crist said.  “It’s just very sad and all of our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

Monday’s count stood at 417 confirmed cases of swine flu here in Florida. That’s up 4 over the weekend.

Officials continue to urge prevention…including frequent hand washing.

“Most people recover without medical attention, they go on about their business, they’re sick for several days, but we really recommend that people go home, stay home, contact their physician,” Kokol said.

Parents are also encouraged to keep their children home if they’re showing any sort of symptoms.

National wide, seasonal flu claims more than 36 thousand lives a year.