Welcome to

Good economic news tonight from one of the state’s most respected fiscal policy groups.

Florida TaxWatch is predicting a steady increase in jobs over the next 12 months. TaxWatch released its Estimated Job Growth Report today. Vice President for Research Rob Weissert says based on the last two recessions Florida should be entering a time period of job growth.

“The Great Recession has been over for about 24 months and typically its in the 25th through 36th months that we really see recovery for jobs in the other recessions, but again that’s based on previous recessions,” said Weissert.

TaxWatch predicts 150-thousand jobs will be created in Florida during the next 12 months.

Students heading back to school today were met by fewer teachers, larger classes, and online instructors. Budget cuts have forced thousands of layoffs statewide. The layoffs made it almost impossible for schools to meet constitutionally mandated class size requirement. So, as Whitney Ray tells us, state lawmakers changed the definition of core classes to allow schools to skirt class size requirements.

Doing more with less is the name of the game as students head back to school this month. Thousands of schools opened Monday, to four straight years of budget cuts.

High School principal Rocky Hanna is packing kids into classes in an attempt to teach more students with fewer teachers.

“We just continue to be asked to do more with less. Something’s got to give,” said Hanna.

What gave this year are constitutional requirements for small core classes. Last year 900 cores were beholden to a student limit. This year lawmakers cut the list to 300, providing a loophole through class size and according to the state’s largest teachers union, thwarting the will of the people.

“That’s kind of their way to get around what voters have voted on twice and what we’ve gone to court to make sure it gets down,” said FEA Spokesman Mark Pudlow.

Reading, writing and arithmetic stayed on the list, but advanced placement classes, literature and foreign languages are a few of the courses no longer capped.

Last year there were 25 students in Oakley Van Oss’s Spanish class… now there are 33. Van Oss taught 125 kids total last year, now he teaches 200. A much larger workload for him, but he says it’s the students who face the real challenge.

“I really think that for students having so many students in the classroom, it can be a little bit overwhelming for them,” said Van Oss.

Besides slashing the list of core courses, lawmakers are also meeting class size by requiring every incoming freshman to take at least one class online. In some schools administrators are changing the names of core classes in order to allow more students into the course. The total number of teacher layoffs statewide won’t be known for six weeks, when all district report their staff changes to the Department of Education.

For about two years small business owners have been complaining about tight credit lines. Many have shut their doors because they can’t get a business loan. Others are putting off expansion plans. As Whitney Ray tells us, a federal program promises to open up the credit lines in Florida and help small businesses create jobs.

John Medina recently sold his small businesses. He also counseled other business owners for years. He says access to cash is holding back the economic recovery.

“Practically every survey I’ve seen says access to capital is the number one impediment to job creation and growth for small businesses,” said Medina.

Medina also chairs the small business council for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is working with the state and feds on a plan to open up credit lines.

“This program aims to prime the pump in Florida, aims to create 10 dollars in private investment for every federal dollar that will be invested,” said Tim Giuliani, Vice President for Corporate Outreach and Engagement.

The state is receiving 98 million dollars from the federal government. Half will be invested in high tech and bioengineering jobs and research. The rest will go to small businesses trying to expand and to reassure banks willing to write business loans.

Details of the plan are still being worked out, but the money should become available to businesses starting in November.

That’s good news for Adam Khalid who opened up this donut shop behind Florida State University three years ago. For two years Donut Kingdom struggled, but business has picked up.

“Basically, I’m okay. I’m thankful for what we have and since it’s getting better and better, I’m patient enough. As long as it’s not going down,” said Adam.

Twice Adam pursued expanding his business, but the resources weren’t there. He’s not sure if he would borrow right now to expand, but he hopes the money’s there if he does decide to expand.

Business owners interested in applying for money under the State Small Business Credit Initiative should visit the Department of the Treasury’s website or Enterprise Florida’s website at www.eflorida.com.

Every city and county government in Florida is being encouraged to review its laws concerning firearms. That’s because a new state law makes it a crime for local officials to pass tougher gun regulations than the state. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, a handful of counties are considering challenging the law in court.

The state says it is against the law to fire a gun across a paved road. But state law says nothing about unpaved roads. And you can’t shoot at something in a state park…but the law says nothing about local parks.

So many local governments closed those loopholes. But come October first, every one of them will be illegal. A new state law makes it a crime for local officials to keep more stringent gun laws on the books.

“We can be removed from office, we can be fined, or technically, we could be put in jail,” said John Dailey, Leon County Commissioner.

State supremacy on guns was already the law… but many local governments believe home rule gave them authority when something was silent at the state level,

“I think it was a complete over stepping by the legislature of the basic concepts in the 1968 Constitution of home rule,” said Herb Thiele, Leon County Attorney.

But now, nobody wants to risk getting thrown out of office or being fined or worse. Every local government is being told to review their law books.

With no local ordinance on the books, officials say there is nothing to keep a hunter from showing up at this park during duck hunting season and blasting away.

The legislation was a top priority of the National Rifle Association.

“And if they want to break the law, then they should pay like everybody else. They are not above the law,” said Hammer.

Several counties are expected to challenge the new restrictions in court. Counties considering legal action include Palm Beach, Broward, Orange and Miami Dade.

Rick Scott has lost his first court battle. The Florida Supreme Court ruled Scott overstepped his authority by freezing new agency rules. Rulings in five more cases are pending. As Whitney Ray tells us, plaintiffs in those cases are confident Scott’s losing streak will continue.

Governor Rick Scott defeated the train, turning down 2.4 billion federal dollars for high speed rail, then winning a suit challenging his authority to railroad the cash.

But Scott’s perfect record in the courts was derailed Tuesday, when the Florida Supreme Court ruled he over stepped his authority when he froze agency rules his first day in office.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me. I don’t think it follows the constitution. It’s a disappointment,” said Scott.

Scott’s record stands at one win, one loss, but Scott’s challengers are lining up to keep his losing streak alive. Five lawsuits are still pending. Some are decision ready. Others have yet to be heard in court.”

In October, in a Leon County courtroom, the Florida Education Association will ague against a law Scott signed forcing state workers to contribute to their pension plans.

“I think we are seeing a lot of litigations that is the result of some fairly outrageous legislation and overreaching by the solid Republican majorities,” said Ron Meyer, attorney for FEA.

The Florida Police Benevolent Association is joining FEA in that suit, but in another lawsuit they’re challenging Scott’s plans to privatize 18 state prisons.

“As we get into it more and engage in discover, we are more and more confident that we will be successful in the privatization suit,” said Hal Johnson PBA General Counsel.

A decision in federal court is pending in a suit the ACLU brought after Scott issued an executive order requiring drug testing for state workers. After the ACLU filed suit Scott suspended the testing. Another lawsuit challenging a law prohibiting pediatricians from asking their patients if guns are in their house was argued in federal court last month. A challenge to provisions in Florida’s new election law is awaiting a hearing. Scott has asked for his name to be removed for that lawsuit.

Environmentalists are celebrating yesterday’s ruling by the Florida Supreme Court that says Governor Rick Scott can’t suspend rulemaking. Now more rules guiding Everglades restoration can be produced. Eric Draper, Executive Director of Audubon of Florida says since Scott’s freeze, protecting the Everglades has been a challenge.

“The court decision means that we are going to be able to move forward with a rule that will protect the flow of fresh water into Biscayne Bay and other parts of the Everglades system,” said Draper.

Draper is asking the South Florida Water Management District to move forward with the water protection rule as fast as possible.

While the Federal Government’s credit rating dropped, Florida’s credit outlook improved. Standard and Poor’s revised the state’s outlook from negative to stable. The state is using the news to refinance its old debt and save millions of dollars, and as Whitney Ray tells us, Governor Rick Scott is using the state’s credit rating to attract new businesses.

Roads, school construction, and restoring the Everglades are just a few of the massive projects that the state borrows massive amounts of cash to finance. To date the state owes 23 billion dollars but efforts to refinance those loans are underway. That’s because Florida’s AAA bond rating has improved from negative to stable.

S&P revised Florida’s outlook in July. Since then Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater says the state has refinanced 1.5 billion dollars in bonds, saving 135 million dollars.

“We went through got lower price, because a AAA bond rating can give us that. In this marketplace, there aren’t too many of us out there with that rating,” said Atwater.

Florida’s improved outlook comes as the Federal government credit rating is declining. And while Congress was arguing over the debt ceiling, Governor Rick Scott was talking to the rating agency about why he thinks Florida is a good investment.

“I spoke to them over the phone, and I talked about the fact that we are going to be the most fiscally responsible state and conservative state in the country,” said Scott. “The fact we have been taken off of CreditWatch is a positive for business people.”

State budget cuts and tax reductions helped Scott convince S&P to improve Florida’s credit outlook. The governor is using the same pitch on out-of-state businesses hoping they’ll also consider Florida a safe bet.

While Scott’s budget moves helped improve the state’s outlook, the reduction in property taxes is hurting some of Florida’s water management districts. The South Florida Water Management District’s credit rating was downgraded because of layoffs that resulted from state budget cuts.

Personal Injury Protection Insurance claims are soaring and state leaders point to fraud as the reason.

In 2010 there was an 800 million dollar increase in the amount of money insurance companies paid out in PIP claims. PIP, pays 10-thousand dollars to people hurt in car accidents regardless of fault. Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty says people are abusing the system that’s meant to help Floridians seriously injured in car wrecks.

“There is a group of people, fraudsters, who have perfected the system of finding the weak points and taking advantage of that,” said McCarty.

Today the governor and state cabinet committed to coming up with fixes to the problem and then asking the legislature to write the changes in a bill for the 2012 legislative session.

Governor Rick Scott is asking us to use a new picture of him in our stories. Here it is.

It shows Scott squinting and smiling, wearing an oxford shirt, no suit no tie. Here is the old picture. Today we asked Scott why the switch.

“My hair was too long in the other one,” Scott joked.

The new photo may be part of the governor’s attempt to rework his image. During the past month Scott has hired new staff, been more available to reporters and launched a program that allows him to work along side Floridians in different jobs once a month.

The state’s highest court has ruled against the governor in a suit that challenged his authority to freeze rules and regulations. The first move Rick Scott made when he took office was to freeze new rules until he could review them to see if they would stifle economic growth. He was challenged. The court ruled against him. Today Scott told reporters if he’s going to be in charge of state agencies he needs the authority to oversee their policies.

“The secretaries of these agencies report to me. They work for me at will and then I’m not supposed to supervise them? It doesn’t make any sense,” said Scott.

Scott responded to reporters about an hour after the Florida Supreme Court issued its ruling. Scott said he wanted to take a closer look at the court’s decision before he made any more statements.

There have been 21 victims of mosquito-borne illnesses reported to the Florida Department of Health this summer. One woman bitten earlier this month contracted West Nile Virus and died. As Whitney Ray tells us, the Department of Health is asking Floridians to take some precautions when heading outdoors.

Chris Mentzel spent Monday playing disc golf. This course will take Chris up hills and down deep into the woods.

“We notice some mosquitoes occasionally. You just swat at them and keep going,” said Mentzel.

Chris brought a cart full of discs, but no bug spray… He’s rethinking his decision.

There have been 21 cases of mosquito-borne illnesses in Florida this summer. Last Wednesday a 64 year old Jacksonville woman died after being bitten by a mosquito with the West Nile Virus.

Doctors with the Florida Department of Health say people who plan on being outdoors need to cover their arms and legs and put bug spray on the parts that aren’t covered. To keep mosquitoes out of your yard remove all standing water… and inside.

“Cover doors and windows with screens so that the mosquitoes don’t get into your home and bite you inside your home,” said Dr. Carina Blackmore.

Judy Ray brought her grandsons to the park Monday, but before they could play she sprayed them down with mosquito repellent.

“I have grandchildren and I want to protect them so the sunscreen, bug spray, it’s all important. It’s all their health,” said Judy.

All the West Nile cases in humans are out of Duval County. Other illnesses like Dengue Fever were found in South Florida. One in every 150 people who contract West Nile develops a severe illness. Fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle weakness and loss of vision are just a few symptoms of the virus.

Deaths from prescription drug overdoses are on the rise according to the latest statistics released from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

56-hundred Floridians died of drug overdoses last year. That’s more than seven a day. The statistics are from 2010, before a new law giving the state more regulatory authority over pain clinics went into effect. Keith Kameg, a spokesman with FDLE, says there are already signs this year the 2011 statistics will be better and that Florida will shed it’s title as pill mill capitol of the country.

“The simple fact is the numbers are trending down, a lot of people are working and hopefully in just a few months, a year, Florida will no longer have that title,” said Kameg.

Purchases of Oxycodone during the first five months of 2011 compared to the first five of 2010 are down 17 percent. Also raids on clinics have resulted in 937 arrests. Doctors accounted for 17 of those arrested.

During this sales tax holiday weekend you can save on paper, pencils and clothes… but one item required for college students going back to school didn’t make the list. Textbooks are not exempt from sales tax this weekend. As Whitney Ray tells us, college students say lawmakers missed the mark when they put bowling shoes, gardening gloves and other items on the list and left textbooks off.

FAMU grad student Corbin Robinson is trying to avoid paying full price for textbooks.

“I’m hoping maybe there is a PDF version of the textbook online, there are so many other options I am hoping I can take before having to go to the bookstore and buy a book full price,” said Corbin.

If her search fails she’s have to fork over 250 dollars for her books and an extra 15 dollars in state sales tax. But last year Corbin could have saved the 15 dollars. That’s because the 2010 back-to-school-sales tax holiday included books.

This year you can save on clothes under 75 dollars and school supplies under 15. You can save on bowling shoes, lingerie, and diapers but you can’t save on textbooks. FSU Senior Rosa Mateu thinks that’s ridiculous.

“I would prefer them to take off the lingerie, the gardening gloves, the diapers, I’ll let that stand, but let’s take some stuff off and put textbooks back on there,” said Mateu.

Students spend an average of 450 dollars a semester on books. Even though, Corbin’s books will cost less, she still thinks state lawmakers missed the mark.

“Textbooks isn’t on that list, it’s kind of like… duh,” said Corbin.

Lawmakers left books off the exemption list this year, they say, because staggered start times and uncertainty among some students about which books are required made it unfair to offer the exemption for just one weekend before the start of class. Another reason lawmakers left textbooks off this year’s list of exempt items is because in years past the book exemption didn’t generate a lot of additional sales.

A report released by the Department of Children and Families could effect Casey Anthony if she decides to have another baby. DCF concluded that Caylee Anthony died because of either Casey’s actions or inaction. There are no legal ramifications associated with the finding, but DCF Spokesman Joe Follick says if Anthony becomes a mother again and there’s reason to believe her new child is in danger, the report would be reexamined.

“Another one of the purposes of these death reviews as you point out is to make these decisions in the future. Anytime someone has a child we deal with that on a case by case basis. So it’s difficult for me to say this happened in 2011, here is what we are going to do in 2012,” said Follick.

DCF investigates about 200 child deaths every year. The reports help the department look at ways to improve child safety.

14-thousand foster kids now have permanent homes thanks to efforts by the Department of Children and Families and charity organizations. Last year DCF helped find homes for 3-thousand kids, but 8-hundred are still up for adoption. DCF Spokesman Joe Follick says many of the kids have special circumstances.

“There are special needs children that the state and federal government offer extra help with; a lot of teenagers who, a couple years with a permanent family can mean a change of a lifetime for these children,” said Follick.

For more Information about adoption visit www.adoptflorida.org.