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Governor Rick Scott wants to deregulate the health care industry, privatize Medicaid and end medical malpractice lawsuits…. All of which could benefit his former company Solantic Urgent Care. But Scott signed over his ownership in Solantic to his wife so technically he’s not breaking any laws… but critics say he’s too close to Solantic for comfort. Scott was asked today if he saw a conflict of interest. He dodged the question.

“Everything that I want to accomplish in health care in Florida is basically what I’ve believed all my life. I believe in the principal that if he have competition it will drive down prices. If you have more choices it’s better for the consumer, also it will help to drive down price,” said Scott.

Scott quit the Solantic Board of Directors shortly before running for governor in 2010 and reportedly hasn’t been in contact with Solantic execs since then.

Two nuclear power plant explosions in the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami are raising safety questions about Florida’s plants. Florida has five nuclear reactors in three locations and there are plans to expand. As Whitney Ray tells us, Florida isn’t as earthquake prone as Japan, but there are two fault lines near the state and Florida’s nuclear plants are older than Japan’s.

Two nuclear power plants exploded in Japan days after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake rocked the island county. Florida has five nuclear reactors in three locations, Turkey Point, Crystal River and St. Lucie.

Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, a longtime opponent of nuclear, says the explosions… are proof Florida should get out of the nuclear game.

“The same kinds of problems here in Florida or in the United States with earthquakes or disasters,” said Rehwinkel Vaslinda

In 2009, Former Governor Charlie Crist and the State Cabinet approved plans to build a plants in Levy County. The first new nuclear plants approved in the US in more than three decades.

Progress Energy is already collecting five dollars a month from its customer to build the plants. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2021. Florida Power and Light is collecting money to expand its plant.

State Senate Mike Fasano opposes the cost recovery fees, but supports nuclear. He says what happened in Japan is a freak occurrence.

“It’s clean, it’s efficient, it’s necessary, it takes down our need to have imported oil from other nations,” said Fasano.

We spoke with former Public Service Commission Chairwoman Nancy Argenziano
by phone. The PSC is in charge of regulating utility companies. Argenziano says Japan’s problems raise a lot of questions about Florida’s push toward nuclear.

“It made me stop and think quite a bit, three nuclear reactors there and a second explosion today makes me wonder if we really know what the heck we’re doing,” said Argenziano.

Supporters of nuclear say it’s safer and cleaner than coal. That theory will be tested in Japan in the coming weeks and months ahead.

Governor Rick Scott ordered a safety review of Florida Nuclear plants this weekend. Today Scott released a statement saying he’s satisfied that Florida’s nuclear plants are safe and the state is prepared to respond to a disaster at one of the plants.

“The information I’ve received shows that across state agencies, in conjunction with federal partners and utility operators, we are prepared for an effective and rapid emergency response.”

Legislation to give some Florida law enforcement officers federal immigration authority is speeding through the legislature.

Governor Rick Scott and many Republican state lawmakers promised to bring Arizona’s controversial immigration bill to Florida. What’s being pushed is less intense than Arizona’s bill, but Democrats, like State Senator Arthenia Joyner are still standing against it.

“This is not Arizona, this is Florida. This is where the sun shines freely and everybody is welcome. We don’t need it at this time,” said Joyner.

Arizona’s law allows police officer to check immigration status during traffic stops. Florida’s bill would allow FDLE and some Sheriff’s deputies to get clearance to check the status of people who’ve been arrested through the federal 287(g) program.

Four out of every 10 Floridians age 50 and older are struggling to pay their electric bills… according to a statewide survey released by the AARP today. The surveys were released in anticipation of legislation to allow companies to raise utility rates without state oversight. Jeff Johnson, the interim director with AARP Florida believes the number or senior struggling with utility rates will go up even if the state doesn’t let utility companies raise their rates.

“It was fielded in January so gas was what cheap $2.96 at that time as opposed to $3.50 now so if we repeated the survey today we would very likely find stronger responses,” said Johnson.

AARP is also opposing a bill that would deregulate phone companies that provide landline service, because many of their members don’t have cell phones.

Thousands of Florida property owners would have to look out of state for insurance under a senate plan unveiled today. Legislation has been filed to force Citizens Property Insurance to dump houses worth more than half a million dollars. As Whitney Ray tells us, if that happens and Florida insurers still say the properties are too expensive, homeowners would be at the mercy of unregulated companies.

If Florida insurance companies deem a house too risky to cover… then state run Citizens Property Insurance will sell the homeowner coverage.

Citizens has 1.3 million policies… way more than the state can handle if a major storm hits.

“My goal is to depopulate Citizens,” said Sen. Hays.

State Senator Alan Hays unveiled a plan to force high risk homes out of the states care by raising rates 25 percent a year… and dropping properties worth more than half a million dollars by 2015.

But if the state says these homes are too expensive and the private sector says they’re too risky, where are the homeowners to turn to get coverage?

The answer is out of state. If that scenario plays out, mortgage companies will buy coverage for the homeowner… out of state and for thousands of dollars more.

State Senator Mike Fasano says if Citizens did start dropping policies the effects would be…

“Economic disaster if something like this were to go into place. First of all it would increase premiums on every property owner, every home owner, condo owner, manufactured home owners by double digits,” said Fasano.

A plan is already in effect to lighten the state’s load by raising rates 10 percent a year, but if a major storm hits before thousands of policies are dropped, all Floridians would be on the hook to pay claims. Environmentalists are getting behind the Citizens legislation. They say if the state stops subsidizing the high risk properties… then beachfront development will slow.

A small victory this week for teachers, firefighters, and policemen.

A Senate committee charged with making changes to the state pension plan passed less severe cuts than Governor Rick Scott is calling for. Their plan calls for no contributions for state workers making less than 40-thousand, and less than five percent for the rest. Scott’s calls for five percent across the board. Matt Puckett with the Florida Police Benevolent Association is encouraged, but says the fight is far from over.

“I think it’s definitely still a work in progress, it is reasonable. The governor’s plan is certainly unreasonable, this is certainly a lot better than that, but we still got some work to do, there’s still some things that can be tightened up,” said Puckett.

The pension changes still have more stops in the Senate and House.

When lawmakers tried to force through legislation to end teacher tenure last year… thousands rallied at the state capitol. This year a similar bill is soaring through the legislative process. One week into session and it’s already passed the Senate. Teachers aren’t being heard as loudly this go round… because they’re in the classroom, planning spring break trips to Tallahassee. Florida Education Association spokesman Mark Pudlow says the changes are likely to pass before teachers can make it to the capitol.

“It comes in and gets passed before teachers take their spring break and give them an opportunity to come up here, and I think that was definitely a calculated effort,” said Pudlow.

Lawmakers in support of the legislation that would put teachers on one year contracts and tie pay raises to student performance says the legislation is moving faster because they began working on the bill last year… not to keep teachers from rallying at the Capitol.

The state could save millions by giving judges more leeway when sentencing nonviolent drug offenders. Right now mandatory sentencing forces drug offenders into long prison terms… when studies show shorter terms coupled with drug treatment and job training would serve them better. Dominic Calabro with Florida TaxWatch is supporting legislation that would lift mandatory sentences to help fill the state’s 3.7 billion dollar budget hole.

“Ninety percent of these folks get out of prison and come back into our communities. We want to make sure that they’re not addicted to drugs, that they have the kind of job skills that allow them to be productive citizens,” said Calabro.

The bill has bipartisan support and would increase the amount of drug treatment an inmate would receive and ensure that they get job training and education, which in turn is shown to reduce the chance they would return to prison.

Governor Rick Scott has only held office for only 65 days and already he’s managed to sell the state planes, win a Supreme Court case and upset many members of the state legislature. Our capitol correspondent Whitney Ray spoke exclusively with the rookie governor and has more from our Tallahassee bureau.

In just two months on the job Governor Rick Scott has made some bold moves and formidable foes… Thursday the rookie governor gave us an exclusive five minute interview. We asked how his decisions have affected his relationship with the legislature.

Scott: I know they’re just as committed as I am on education and getting the state back to work so I feel very hopeful that the right things are going to happen.

Whitney: but it hasn’t been without conflict. You’re 65 days into your first term. You sold the state planes. Lawmaker balked at that. You declined money for high speed rail. Two senators sued you. Does this signify a bumpy road through the rest of the legislative session?

Scott: Everybody knows that I campaigned that I was going to sell the state planes. I did. That’s what I believe in and that’s what our legislature is very supportive of.

Yes and No. Some lawmakers wanted to sell the planes… but say the Governor broke the law when he put them on the auction block without legislative approval.

In his state of the state address Scott told lawmakers to pass his budget… which cuts spending and taxes by more than four billion dollars… but lawmakers have their own plans….

Whitney: If the legislature doesn’t give you close to what you ask for, are you prepared to veto that and call them back for a special session?

Scott: I’m very comfortable with that, but they’re committed to the same thing I am.

Through our five minutes of questions Scott stayed positive and on message. But when we asked about his recent victory against two lawmakers who sued him for turning down high speed rail money… Scott lit up.

Whitney: How big was that victory for you?
Scott: that was a fun day.

But Scott’s victory in the state’s highest court hasn’t won him a lot of friends in the state legislature, and in fact, a ridership report released Wednesday shows that high speed rail would have been profitable.

The Department of Transportation study predicted a 10 million dollar surplus in the first year…. And 30 million annually after a decade…. Scott admits he’s not afraid to make the tough choices that irk his critics.

“My job is to make this state the most likely to succeed,” said Scott.

The next two months will be the filled with conflict… but maybe not compromise from the head-strong governor. We got a change to ask Scott about his future plans and if the White House was in them. Scott smiled… and said he’s focused on being governor this job.

Florida’s unemployment rate remains relatively unchanged from a month ago. New labor statistics released today show the rate falling from 12 percent to 11.9 percent. A million Floridians are still looking for work. The new numbers are from January… Governor Rick Scott’s first month on the job… Scott expects the rate to drop and says he just needs more time.

“I’m hoping that I can get the state back to work as quickly as I can. What I’m focused on is not necessarily the unemployment number. The problem is that we’ve got 1.1 million Floridians out of work. So my job is to think about how I can, everyday, get businesses to expand here and move here,” said Scott

And part of the governor’s plan to create jobs received final approval from the House this afternoon. The plan would slash unemployment benefits in order to give a tax break to businesses and pay back money borrowed from the feds to pay unemployment claims.

A bill to end teacher tenure got a passing grade from the State Senate today. The legislation would put Florida teachers on annual contracts and tie pay raises to student performance. Supporters, like Senator Anitere Flores, say the new standards would encourage the best teachers to come to Florida.

“We do not recognize teachers as first in the nation because the contracts that they are currently binded by do not allow them, do not allow those teachers to be paid for their performance,” said Flores.

Opponents, like Senator Bill Montford, worry that the state won’t be able to pay for the raises once the federal Race to the Top funds run dry.

“I am fearful that we are on the edge of making a really better program for our K-12 public education, but I am afraid we won’t be successful because of the lack of funding,” said Montford.

The bill now moves to the House where it’s expected to easily win passage next week.

Several state lawmakers want to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. People suffering from painful diseases traveled to the state capitol in support of the joint resolution that if passed would go before voters. One speaker was too choked up to talk about the issue. The sponsor of the legislation, Democrat Jeff Clemens, says the situation is personal to thousands of Floridians.

“We have a lot people suffering here in the state of Florida. I don’t think we need to be telling them that prescription narcotics are the way to go, when we have other, more natural avenues for them,” said Clemens.

If passed out of the legislature and approved by voters in 2012, the sale of medical marijuana could generate five to 12 million dollars in tax revenue for the state annually.

Legislation that would reduce the number of weeks an unemployed Floridians could receive benefits is ready for a final vote in the State House. The bill was debated today in Tallahassee but before the debate could get started, as Whitney Ray tells us, lawmakers had to walk past dozens of angry jobseekers.

The debate surrounding how to pay Florida’s unemployed is reaching a boiling point. Dozens of angry jobseekers crowded the state capitol Wednesday. Devetria Stratford has been out of work for two years.

“I’m a hard worker. People want to holla about we lazy. I’m not lazy. The last job I held for eight years. I held another job for nine years,” Stratford.

The unemployed traveled from South Florida and Orlando. They voiced their frustration, and carried signs. The group was brought together by legislation that would shorten the number of weeks the state would pay the unemployed by six and make it easier for employers to dispute a claim.

Determined to have their voices heard, the unemployed workers lined the entrance to the House Chamber where lawmakers were preparing to debate the unemployment compensation legislation.

As Representative Carlos Trujillo tried to make his way through the crowd, organizers began questioning his support for the bill.

Trujillo: We are working to give employers the ability to grow businesses, to expand business, to have enough capital to continue to grow. People don’t want to receive unemployment. People want to work. We are trying to allow them to have that opportunity.

Protester: On one hand you’re saying that, but on the other hand you are threatening the jobs.

On average, the changes would provide a 25 dollar per employee tax break for businesses this year and additional breaks in the coming years. The bill’s sponsor says its one step closer to a more business friendly environment.

“A reduction in weeks will encourage new business to come to this state,” said Rep. Doug Holder.

With the House poised to approve the bill Thursday, the protesters will concentrate their efforts on the Senate, which is considering less severe cuts. The legislation would allow the unemployed to challenge a denied claim in an appellate court, but many argue the unemployed don’t have enough money to hire a lawyer.

A merit pay question and answer session sent the state Senate into overtime today.

Session was extended by 30 minutes as Democrats questioned the bill sponsor about judging teachers by their students test scores and the impact of placing them under one year contracts. State Senator Maria Sachs also raised concerns over how the state will afford to pay the best teachers more at a time when the state is cutting education funding by three billion dollars.

“We will qualify for federal funds, but will the state have the money to pay for the continuation of this, to further this education bill,” said Sachs.

The senate is expected to vote on the merit pay bill tomorrow.

The Florida Senate took a shot at the new federal health care regulations today, passing a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow Florida to ignore the new law of the land. If passed by the House, the amendment would end up on the 2012 ballot and voters would get to decide if Floridians should be required to buy health insurance. Senator Alan Hays says the people need a vote on the issue.

“I think it’s time for us to give the people of Florida an opportunity to assert their 10th amendment rights and tell the federal government, no we Floridians are not going to allow you to intervene with our choice of health care professionals,” said Hays.

Democratic Senator Nan Rich says it’s time to stop whining and follow the law.

“Congress and the President of the United States passed this law that will enable people in our state and every state to have coverage. It is a goal that has been sought by administrations both Democrat and Republican going back to Roosevelt,” said Rich.

The health care laws are also being challenged in the judicial branch. Two federal judges have ruled the law unconstitutional; two have ruled in favor of the law. That fight will end in the US Supreme Court.