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Denise Amber Lee was kidnapped and murdered in 2008. Her death is considered largely preventable if more than one 9-1-1 operator had followed through on tips about the killer. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, for the second time this week, the family is in Tallahassee working to make nobody else dies because someone was untrained.

Denise Amber Lee left behind a husband and two young sons when 9-1-1 operators ignored a call from the kidnapped frantic woman herself.

“Please let me go.”

And another call from a suspicious motorist.

“Something’s going on.”

Widower Nathan Lee and his family have spent the last two years working on the legislature to pass mandatory training for 9-1-1 operators in Florida.

“My wife was murdered and a 911 call that could have saved her life was not dispatched properly and that definitely would have saved her life,” Lee said.

Lee got one step closer on Thursday when a Senate committee gave a thumbs-up after tearful testimony.

“911 communicators are the true first-responders to a citizen’s plea for help,” Nathan Lee said. “They cannot be the weakest link.”

The issue of cost continues to come up, but it’s getting less and less traction

Senate Sponsor Nancy Detert says most of the training is already taking place.

“What I’m saying is, the public is already paying for safety, they’re just not getting it,” Detert said.

The pain of for father of two has not gone away, and even if he is successful in Florida, he says he will push for national 9-1-1- training standards.

“A call to 911 that didn’t get dispatched, it’s just really hard to swallow,” Lee said. “Even now that it’s been two years, it’s still really hard to deal with.”

Nathan is continuing to walk the halls of the Capitol. Not taking his current momentum for granted and not resting until the legislation is on the governor’s desk.

The bill still has to go through two more committees in the Senate and two more committees in the House.

Fifteen bills to ban drivers from texting or talking on the phone have been filed in Tallahassee. There are more than 30 sponsors and co-sponsors for the different pieces of legislation. A ban has failed three years running, but as Whitney Ray tells us, lawmakers aren’t worried about getting a ban passed this year; they’re just curious about whose bill will be signed by the governor.

Lawmakers are waging war on texting while driving. (Nat) 15 pieces of legislation to ban the practice have been filed. Several outlaw all cell phone use from behind the wheel. Some just focus on texting.

“I think the texting is what’s causing the greatest problem right now,” said texting ban co-sponsor Evelyn Lynn.

One bill would only ban teen drivers from texting. Another school bus drivers.

“When they’re not riding with us they are likely riding with a school bus driver,” said Bill Sponsor Alan Williams.

Senator Carey Baker has two texting while driving bills.

“It’s such an incredible dangerous activity that at this point we have to address it,” said Baker.

A report released this year claims one in four wrecks is caused by texting or talking on the phone, which may be cause enough for Florida lawmakers set up sanctions for offenders.

The penalties could range from points on your drivers license to a 500 dollar fine for repeat offenders, of course it depends on which bill winds up on the governor’s desk.

“I don’t care which bill gets it. I just hope we are able to close this very dangerous gap,” said cell phone ban bill sponsor Nan Rich.

And closing the safety gap could help lawmakers close the budget gap. Cash incentives are being discussed in Washington for state’s that pass texting bans.

Governor Charlie Crist says if lawmakers pass a texting while driving ban he’ll sign it.

State officials are asking Floridians to be on the lookout for census scammers.

The official count begins next month. Census workers will be mailing out forms asking your age, race, and whether you rent or own, but not personal information like your social security number or bank account. Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charlie Bronson says people asking for those numbers are trying to rip you off.

“If people are asking anybody for their social security number or any of those things, you don’t want to give them that information that can lead people to steal your identity. If they want to know what your name is, if they come and say they’re with the census, you are going to get mailed a lot of things you can fill out and send back. Just make sure it’s an official mailing and not some scam artist,” said Bronson.

Mailers will go out in mid-March. If you don’t send the mailer back, a census worker will stop by your house. All workers are required to wear a badge with the US Department of Commerce Bureau of Census Seal on it. So look for the seal.

A plan to phase out the FCAT exam and replace it with end of the year tests is gaining ground in Tallahassee. The FCAT is catching flack from parents, students and teachers concerned too much emphasis is being put on passing the test and not on learning. As Whitney Ray tells us, changes could come as soon as next year.

From the first day of class, high school students in Florida begin preparing for the FCAT. The standardized test determines who graduates and school rankings, but that could soon change.

“Any steps we take to eliminating the FCAT is a step in the right direction,” said Representative Bill Heller.

For years Democrats have been calling for an end to the FCAT, saying it puts too much emphasis on testing and takes away from learning.

FSU Freshman Taylor Rink remembers the pressure she faced from teachers.

“They really pushed it,” said Taylor.

FCAT testing dates are also causing concern.

Former Governor Jeb Bush, a big FCAT advocate, used to be fond of saying, ‘we’ll test a year’s worth of knowledge in a year’s worth of time.’ The only problem, The FCAT is over in March.

Florida School Boards Association President Wayne Blanton says the test creates lethargic students by year’s end.

“Students sort of give up then. They say, especially seniors, well you know schools over the FCAT’s over, what you really have to look at is having a year end exam so you don’t have any wasted time out there,” said Blanton.

If the legislation passes, next year math would be taken off the FCAT exam, with the other subjects being phased out over the next four years.

Consumer advocates and Democratic lawmakers are filing several pieces of legislation that would protect renters, borrowers and the unemployed.

State Senator Dan Gelber and Representative Ronald Brise announced the legislative plans today at the state Capitol. The plans would give renters whose landlords were being foreclosed upon more time to find a new place. They would also expand unemployment benefits to more Floridians. Gelber says the economy is creating more opportunities for predators to take advantage of the suffering.

“This is a moment when there are people who are exploiting and preying on everyday Floridians, and if you don’t step up your efforts to protect them and become even more vigilant then you are doing them a disservice,” said Gelber.

One piece of legislation announced today would provided stricter penalties to debt collects who harass and lie to borrowers.

Two cancer research facilities in Florida will lose their funding next year unless legislators act.

The American Cancer Society joined with patients and survivors today at the Capitol to fight to save the programs. Mary Edith Thomas was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago. She survived. Mary says if the programs go away fewer people will be able to share her success story.

“Our ultimate goal is to make cancer a thing of the past. I look forward to future generations saying to me ‘what was that thing called cancer,’” said Mary.

A House and Senate bill would give 50 million dollars to the research programs each year. The money would come from the dollar-a-pack cigarette tax enacted last year.

9-1-1 Emergency operators will have to undergo increased training under legislation approved by a State House Committee this morning in Tallahassee. The legislation was inspired by the preventable death, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, of Denise Amber Lee, a Sarasota woman kidnapped and murdered in 2008.

The young mother was abducted in January 2008. Surprisingly she was able to use her kidnapper’s cell phone to call 911.

A second 9-1-1 call came from a motorist who saw Denise stressed out in the back of a car.

The hitch came when the calls were not relayed to police by an untrained operator. By some accounts, the kidnapper drove past at least three police cars who could have saved Denise.

Denise’s mother-in-law teared as a House committee debated a bill to require training. Police and sheriffs question the cost of additional training. So do some lawmakers.

“I want to be assured that there is no cost, that it is financially neutral,” Rep. Bill Proctor (R-St. Augustine) said.

Sponsors say what is not acceptable is calling 9-1-1 and getting a different response, depending on what part of the state you’re calling from.

15 other states already have similar laws on the books.

“Florida is certainly lagging behind in that regard,” Richard Pinsky with the Emergency Operators Association.

And there were more tears when the bill passed.

“This is about saving future lives and we just don’t want this to happen to anybody else,” Peggy Lee, Denise Amber Lee’s mother-in-law said.

“When you hear about the costs, you know, we all know what the cost is, it’s a lost life,” Mark Lee said.

Michael King has been sentenced to death in the case.

A Senate Committee hears similar legislation Thursday….but in tight budget times, passage is not a sure thing.

Hundreds of nurses have begun arriving in Tallahassee for a two day meeting and rally to protest hospital workloads.

The nurses say they are sometimes caring for as many as 8 or 9 patients when studies show 4 patients per nurse is the optimal ratio. Mary Beth Harrod of Miami says hiring more nurses will actually drive down the cost of health care.

“There is even further research showing that the costs of adding another nurse to the staff is far less than the cost of managing the negative outcomes when the patients get secondary infections, or complications, or even die, because of something they obtained in the hospital,” Harrod said.

More than a thousand nurses are expected for a noon Rally on Wednesday.

The state could save 300 million dollars by eliminating the middle man. There is an average of one manager for every four employees in state government. As Whitney Ray tells us, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer says 4,600 could be weeded out over the next year and a half.

120-thousand Floridians are employed by the state. Their salaries and benefits, like health insurance and retirement, cost taxpayers 7.4 billion dollars a year. Lawmakers are considering pay reductions and layoffs to save money. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink says there’s a better way. She’s cutting middle management.

“We don’t need to be micromanaging those state employees who are serving customers,” said Sink.

There’s an average of one manager for every four employees in state government. Sink says lowering the ratio to 1 in 7 would save the state 300 million dollars.

With that much money you could build three of these arenas where Florida State plays basketball, film Avatar, the most expensive movie ever, or buy 100 million Whoppers. But lawmakers would likely use the money for schools, roads, and prisons. Department of Financial Services Chief of Staff Tammy Teston says the plan could be carried out quickly and without layoffs.

“We would be able to accomplish the CFO’s vision within 12 to 18 months without any problems just based on the amount of turnover we have seen every year,” said Teston.

We spoke with several state employees, who didn’t want to go on camera in fear of losing their jobs. One worker said there are six employees in his office and three managers.

The move to fewer managers is already underway in the CFO’s office and is expected to save 10 million dollars a year. The move to a statewide reduction could be left up to lawmakers in charge of writing next year’s budget.

Environmentalists and nature lovers want more protection for the state’s more than 200 natural springs. A group of relay runners sprinted 16 miles from Wakulla Springs to the state capitol today to support higher standards. Legislation to enact tougher regulations on septic tanks, reduce runoff and decrease the amount of fertilizer used on farms is in the works in Tallahassee. State Representative Alan Williams says if lawmakers don’t raise the standards now future generations won’t be able to enjoy the springs.

‘We must protect our fresh water springs. We must protect our natural resources across the sunshine state in order for our children, and our children’s children, and our children’s children’s children to enjoy the beauty that is Florida,” said Williams.

The springs legislation comes as public hearings on new federal standards are being held. Many business owners and farmers are against the federal standards, they say it will cost the average household an extra 60 dollars a month on their water bill.

It has been just over a year since former House Speaker Ray Sansom
resigned under a cloud of suspicion. Since then, his House colleagues
have spent almost a quarter million dollars investigating whether he
violated House rules by taking a job at his hometown college after
sending millions to the NW Florida State College. As Mike Vasilinda
tells us, one of the perk’s of being House Speakers is funding for
schools in the district.

Former House Speaker TK Wetherell sent 40 million dollars to build classrooms
around FSU’s football stadium. Lee Moffit created a renowned cancer
center at the University of South Florida. Other speakers have had Civic
Centers named in their honor. But none of the House speakers did what Ray Sansom
did…take a job funded by the largess he sent his hometown college.

Since Sansom resigned a year ago, state lawmakers have spent a quarter million dollars in the legal fees. An official hearing is set for February 22

There is a very real possibility that the leading Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate and two or three other past or present officials, could be forced to raise their hands and tell the truth. That’s creating a lot of pressure for a settlement.

The most damaging testimony could involve former House Speaker MarcoRubio. Sansom was his budget chief when the money for the school was appropriated. State Representative Bill Galvano acknowledges that negotiations are taking place that could result in a settlement. Democrats are crying foul.

“The Republicans just want to whitewash this and it’s clear that anything short of expulsion is just a whitewash,” Florida Democratic Party Spokesperson Eric Jotkoff said.

But any negotiated settlement would likely allow Sansom to remain in the House until his term expires in November. Otherwise, he’s got nothing to lose by rolling the dice.

With unemployment expected to reach 12 percent and lawmakers considering layoffs to help fill a three billion dollar budget hole, there seems to be little to cheer about. But as Whitney Ray tells us, economists have found a few bright spots in Florida’s economy.

More than a million Floridians are looking for work. Thousands of people are losing their homes and credit lines are drying up.

But Florida TaxWatch and the National Federation of Independent Business say better times are around the corner.

“The cost of living that was once above average in the nation, now with all the pain and suffering and the serious recession has actually brought cost down so Florida is more attractive,” said Dominic Calabro, the CEO of Florida TaxWatch.

Florida is expected to be one of the last states to recover from the recession, but economists say recovery in other states will boost tourism and home sales.

Another bright spot is that Holiday sales helped eat up excess inventory and now stores are starting to restock.

The increased demand for retail means more business for truck drivers, gas stations and warehouse workers.

“It may not be as high as it was in 2006, when we were at the peak of consumer spending, but it certainly will be better than it has been for the last couple of years,” said Rick McAllister, President of the Florida Retail Federation.

But demand could rise even more as other economies get on the right track and start to demand Florida goods. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink says banks need to start lending to help businesses prepare.

“The number one problem I hear about from small business is access to credit, being able to borrow more money to expand their business and higher more Floridians,’ said Sink.

Although there are a few bright spots, the road to recovery is still a long one and it will likely take years for the state’s unemployment rate to reach pre-recession levels.

Housing sales could become the driving force of the economic recover. Prices fell 13 percent in 2009, making the state more attractive to retirees and people looking for a vacation home.

It’s snowing in Florida and actually sticking in some parts of the Panhandle. As Whitney Ray tells us, the weather has forced dozens of school closings.

The Panhandle saw its first snow since 1993, to the delight of many kids. An hour down the road, 8-year old Wyatt Roberts was still waiting for snow.

“I want to jump in it,” said Wyatt.

Wyatt won’t go back to school until after Presidents Day.

Fears that the freezing rain would turn into ice caused several schools in the panhandle to close.

At noon on Friday, Holmes County Schools were closed, even though not a flake had fallen. The sheriff says it was preemptive.

“We don’t want bus loads of kids driving around on slick roads. Someone could get hurt,” said Sheriff Tim Brown.

Road crews in Florida lack the heavy snow plows and salt trucks necessary to clear dangerous roadways, and very few drivers have experience on ice.

“It was March 1993 last time it snowed here,” said Pam Tucker.

Florida got just a dusting, but across the state line, snow stuck to cars and houses.

Today’s dusting marks the second time it’s snowed in Florida this year. Jacksonville and parts of Central Florida saw snow in January. It snowed a total of six times last decade.

Snow is in the forecast for some parts of the Panhandle, which is causing some problems for farmers and wildlife trying to rebound from last months cold spell. As Whitney Ray tells us, the January freeze is costing farmers 600 million dollars, and has cost 165 manatees their lives.

Frozen fruit and frostbitten fish were on the menu in January as two straight weeks of freezing temperatures wreaked havoc on Florida farmers.

“Overall it’s about a 30 percent loss, 600 million dollars in losses,” said Charles Bronson, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture.

The hardest hit farms are being offered low interest loans from the federal government to cover their costs, but their worries aren’t over.

Snow is in the forecast Friday for parts of the Panhandle. It’s rare in the Sunshine State.

On a February day in 1899, enough fell for lawmakers to take their fight outdoors and hurl snowballs at each other.

In February 1958 it snowed again. In 1977, the Palm Beach Post reported the area’s first snowfall in recorded history. Governor Charlie Crist remembers seeing snow in the 70’s.

“When and if it does come to north Florida, enjoy it. It’s beautiful to see and thank God we don’t get much of it,” said Crist.

The sentiment is shared by the state’s wildlife. Since the first of the year, a thousand sea turtles and more than 165 manatees have died of cold stress. Wildlife experts are pleading with boaters to keep their distance.

“Give the animals a wide birth when its cold like it is this week,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife biologist, Carol Knox.

The good news is the freeze isn’t expected to last as long as January’s.

Even if it doesn’t snow, temperatures across the state could still be deadly for plants, pets, and people living outdoors. Many shelters are making special arrangements for the homeless. Emergency workers are asking people to bring their pets and plants inside over night.

The state’s 24 regional workforce offices are preparing for another tough year.

The offices are located across the state. Their mission: help people find jobs. The state’s unemployment rate is at 11.8 percent and is expected to climb. Governor Charlie Crist addressed the Workforce Board of Directors in Tallahassee today. Crist says the economy is turning and the stimulus package is working.

“The stimulus package has helped immensely. The latest figures is around 87-thousand people would be out of work if it wasn’t for the stimulus. 20-thousand of those are educators in schools though out Florida. I dare say the impact that would have on children, so I think it is very important and very helpful,” said Crist.

Crist isn’t just relying on the stimulus package for relief. He’s asking lawmakers to approve more tax breaks for businesses and the film industry to help create more jobs in Florida.