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A group of heavy hitters in Florida politics want online stores to collect state sales tax. The Florida Chamber of Commerce, The Florida Retail Federation and Florida TaxWatch say collecting the tax could help lawmakers balance the budget and give small businesses a better chance of competing against online retailers. As Whitney Ray tells us, a bill to force online stores to collect taxes has been filed.

Graham Latsa is always looking for a good deal.

“I’m a cheapskate and because of that I want to get the lowest price,” said Latsa.

He found this custom bike seat and lift bar on Amazon.com for 45 dollars. He saved $2.70 on state sales tax alone… because Amazon doesn’t charge Florida sales tax.

“Part of me says they should but the other part of me says I’m cheap and I don’t want to pay that sales tax,” said Latsa.

Amazon is one of thousands of online stores that doesn’t collect state sales tax, because they don’t have a physical location in Florida. But what most shoppers who use these online stores don’t know is, they still owe the tax.

Here is the form online shoppers are supposed to fill out. It can be found on the Florida Department of Revenues website, but if major business groups get their way it won’t be necessary.

A coalition of business groups, including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the retail federation is pressuring lawmakers to force online companies to start collecting. They say without charging sales tax, online shops have a price advantage.

“Government should not be picking winners and losers and this is a case that because of non-action they are picking winners against good state citizens,” said Rick McAllister, CEO of the Florida Retail Federation.

Besides leveling the playing field, collecting the tax could bring in between 50 million and two billion dollars a year in sales tax revenue. Legislative leaders haven’t been sold on the idea yet and some are dead set against forcing online companies to pay. But if the bill did pass, lawmakers say they would use the money to offset other business taxes.

More than half a million working Floridians saw their paychecks go down by three percent on July 1. All are part of the state retirement system, and all were forced for the first time to contribute to the fund. The legality of that 3 percent contribution will be in court this week.

556,000 teachers, corrections officers, and other professionals that are part of the state retirement system saw their paychecks shrink by three percent on July 1. Paul Brewer’s check was one of them.

“We’re just not going out to eat anymore,” Brewer said. “We’re looking at more generic brands, things like that. Whatever we can do to save a penny.”

Tallahassee is home to about 12 percent of the employees who are part of the state retirement system. The Economic Development Council of Tallahassee-Leon County says the local economy has taken a hit.

“It’s a 93 million dollars impact to this economy and that’s roughly 47,000 people,” EDC executive director Beth Kirkland said.

Statewide, the pension contribution has already taken more 300 million out of the economy since July.  We asked the state’s labor economist if that could be part of the reason for flat job growth in three of the last four months.

“It certainly can have an impact. But we haven’t done any analysis on it,” state labor economist Rebecca Rust said.

On Wednesday, a judge will decide if the state can keep taking the three percent or if the forced contribution violates a 1974 law.  The statute in question says a retirement paid fully by the government is a “contract and legally enforceable.”

“Lawyers for the employees will say the state seeking the three percent is similar to a bank with a 30 year mortgage saying you need to pay more after just 20 years.”

The governor’s office has hired an out of state law firm to represent the state in the suit.

About one if five Florida schools serves fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally. That’s about to change. Starting in January every public school will have to serve Florida produce. As Whitney Ray tells us, farmers, teachers and students were at the state capitol today sharing ideas about how to make school lunches healthier.

Fruits and vegetables were on the lunch menu Monday at the state capitol in celebration of the first Florida Grown School Lunch week.

Growers turned the capital courtyard into a farmers market and discussed plans to bring more fresh Florida produce to public schools.

“It’s your next generation. If you teach kids now how to eat healthy they are going to continue that through their whole life,” said Scott Seddon with Pero Family Farms.

Right now about 11-hundred of Florida’s 53-hundred public schools serve locally grown fruits and vegetables… But starting in January they’ll all have to. The change is part of a new Department of Agriculture Program to fight childhood obesity.

“Fresh produce is exactly what we want our children to eat, so why are we shipping it out of the state all the time,” asked Robin Safly with the Florida Department of Agriculture.

But getting fresh fruits and vegetables in to schools is one thing. Getting kids to eat them is something all together different. We asked eight graders what they thought.

Reporter: Would you eat fresh fruits and vegetables if they were in your school?
Breanne Sorensen: Yes because they are yummy.
Reporter: What’s your favorite fruit?
Danielle Swearingen: Absolutely strawberries
Reporter Do you think there are enough fruits and vegetables in your school?
Danielle Swearingen: Absolutely not.

But it’s not just serving health foods, gardening is also being taught. Nathan Ballentine is teaching public school kids how to grow everything from carrots to spinach.

“Schools could have gardens or mini-farms that could serve and funnel foods into their own cafeterias,” said Nathan.

Besides teaching kids to live healthier lives the program will also boost business for Florida Farmers. The changes are set to coincide with a shift of school lunch responsibilities from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture. To make the switch the state had to receive approval from the federal government.

After three straight months of no movement, Florida’s unemployment rate has fallen slightly. The rate, announced today, is 10.6, down from 10.7 a month ago. As Whitney Ray tells us, the decline comes as the governor looks overseas for new job opportunities.

Governor Rick Scott boarded a plane to Brazil Thursday hoping to make deals to grow Florida’s economy.

“There is a lot of technology that is growing there so I would like them to invest in Florida,” said Scott Thursday.

On the phone with reporters Friday, Scott delivered some good economic news… the state’s unemployment rate declined slightly.

“No one can take full credit for this, but Florida is on the right track thanks to the clever efforts of the Florida legislature who last session passed business tax cuts,” said Scott by phone Friday.

For three months the state’s jobless rate was stuck at 10.7 percent.

Now it’s down point one percentage point to 10.6 percent, partly because the state added 23-thousand jobs in September.

Department of Economic Opportunity Chief Economist Rebecca Rust says Florida’s job growth is out pacing the nation’s.

“Florida has the largest over the month job gain in the nation from August to September,” said Rust.

But the celebration may be short lived… The recovery is slow and economists predict the unemployment rate will drop again before years end. Economist expected the unemployment rate to rise to 11 percent by January and then drop back to its current level by the end of 2012.

Crime is trending down in Florida. The Semi-Annual Crime Report was released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement today.

It measures reported crime from January through June. In that time period overall crime declined two percentage points. Violent crime fell 3 points, but forcible sex crimes went up a percentage point. FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey is pleased with the decrease, but says it comes with a price.

“We’ve lost five officers in this same period I’m reporting on today. We’ve lost two from the Miami-Dade police Department and three from the St. Petersburg Police Department in two difference incidents, so it comes with a price,” said Bailey.

The report was complied using data from 409 of the state’s 416 law enforcement agencies. A county by county break down can be found at www.fdle.state.fl.us/fsac/ucr (click on UC reports, then county profiles).

Florida is facing another 1.5 billion dollar budget deficit, and to make ends meet legislative leaders say everything is on the table… including more state workers layoffs. Last session, 15-hundred folks were let go… and unfilled positions are being eliminated. As Whitney Ray tells us, more layoffs are likely.

150 positions at the Florida Department of Transportation are being eliminated to keep up with falling gas tax revenues.

“We feel very comfortable reducing 150 positions because the work is not there,” said DOT Secretary Ananth Prasad.

The state is going after unfilled positions now, but when there are no more empty seats to cut…. layoffs may ensue.

15-hundred positions were eliminated last session and lawmakers will have to make tough decisions again this session, because Florida is facing another 1.5 billion dollar shortfall. Senate President Mike Haridopolos thinks the budget hole could be even deeper.

“I’m going to be pessimistic unfortunately and I’d rather be safe than sorry,” said Haridopolos.

He says more state government layoffs have to be explored.

“It’s been brutal and government is feeling it as much as the private sector finally,” said Haridopolos.

We caught up with Governor Rick Scott before he embarked on his trade mission to Brazil.

He plans to return to Florida with good news about jobs… and hopes to avoid more state worker layoffs.

“I hope not, but you know in business we have to get more efficient all the time,” said Scott.

Besides the 15-hundred state worker layoffs after last session, thousands of other government positions were also cut because the state funneled less money schools, fire stations and local governments.

Even though the state is working with fewer dollars, more corporate tax cuts are likely to be approved this session. Supporters of the tax breaks say, in the long run, the cuts will create jobs.

Later tonight Governor Rick Scott will fly to Brazil with a 180 political and business leaders from Florida. Their goal, create more business partnerships with Brazilian companies. Brazil is already Florida’s biggest trading partner. Florida exported 13 billion dollars in goods to the South American Country last year. Scott wants to capitalize on the business relationship.

“There’s a lot technology that growing there and so I would like them to invest in Florida and build plants in Florida and then a lot of it is tourism,” said Scott.

We caught up with Scott around 11:00 today before he left Tallahassee. This is the governor’s third trade mission since he took office in January.

A heavy hitter in Florida politics, the Chamber of Commerce is throwing its weight behind a plan to collect internet sales taxes. The Florida Chamber unveiled its legislative priorities today. Online companies without locations in the state currently aren’t collecting state sales taxes. The Chamber wants that to change, but Senate President Mike Haridopolos says it’s not likely to happen this session.

“If it somehow passed both chambers which I consider the likelihood zero, the governor would surly veto it as well, said Haridopolos.

Forcing online shops to collect sales taxes could bring in as much as two billion dollars annually.

A 31-year-old man who was awarded million for injuries caused by a speeding sheriff’s deputy in 1998 is still waiting for justice 13 years later. Eric Brody was just 18 when the crash confined him to a wheelchair, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, he is caught between warring politicians and an insurance company that wants to pay far less than a jury ordered.

Even though Eric Brody was awarded more than 30 million dollars for injuries, because they were caused by a sheriff’s deputy, he can’t collect more than 2 hundred thousand dollars without legislative approval.

And even though his award won’t cost state taxpayers a dime, he is caught between expensive lobbyists, and what many say is a flawed claims system filled with politics.

“What we will be pushing again early in the session this year, is to provide the Brody family some finality and justice,” Sen. Mike Haridopolos said.

The case is complicated. The insurance company that insured the Broward Sheriff for large claims wouldn’t settle. When the case got to court, the company was penalized for not acting in good faith. The insurer has since tried to give the Brodys eight million dollars, but Tampa Representative John Grant says a bigger issue is at stake.

“We have a fundamental question before us: are we going to let an insurance company come to Florida and use the legislative process to prevent payment on the policy they sold? I’m not willing to go down that path,” Grant said.

Eric watched silently, unable to speak clearly as the politicians discussed his case. He understands every word.

“What happens when my wife and I are gone?” Eric’s father, Chuck Brody, said. “Who’s going to fund his therapies? Who’s going to fund his life? What’s going to happen to him?”

On Facebook, Eric’s posting says his future intentions are a bit uncertain. So is the outcome of his legislative battle.

If the case doesn’t provide enough cash for Eric for life, tax payers could end picking up the tab for Eric Brody’s care after his parents are gone.

They may or may not be legal but no one has completely kicked internet cafes out the state… at least not yet.

Representative Scott Plakon wants to. He’s has filed a bill to ban Internet Cafes, and since he expects push back… he’s enlisted the Attorney General’s office to help draft the bill.

“So we think we have it bulletproof, but the people that are running these make so much money that I expect them even if we pass it to try to continue,” said Plakon.

There are more than a thousand internet cafes in Florida. The legality of many are being challenged by local governments around the state.

Legislation paving the way for Vegas-Style Casino resorts is expected to be filed in Tallahassee later this week. The Senate President is promising a vote on the bill in his chamber, but casinos face a tougher battle in the House. As Whitney Ray tells us, international casino corporations are already making investments in Florida in anticipation of the bill passing.

Genting Malaysia, an international casino corporation is betting on the Florida legislature.

The gaming company bought land in Miami and drew up plans for a mega-resort.

Now they’re waiting on lawmakers to expand gaming. A bill to allow the Vegas-style resorts failed last session. Senator Dennis Jones sponsored the bill, and is ready to try again.

“This is a fabulous opportunity for Florida for jobs. And these are all high paying jobs and like I said we will start to attract the trade show industry,” said Jones.

In the Senate the president is promising members a chance to vote on the issue, but the gaming expansion faces a tougher time in the House.

Disney has been a long time opponent of expanded gaming. The House Speaker is from the area and so are other influential House members like, Scott Plakon.

Plakon has a bill to ban internet cafes. His legislation could be rolled into the expanded gaming bill in an effort to garner more House support. If that happens Plakon is undecided how he would vote.

“My wife doesn’t even know what my answer is going to be on that so if that happens we will have to decide when the time comes,” said Plakon.

Supporters of the casinos say it’s not just about gaming. The resorts would become destinations for international trade shows… with each boasting 15-hundred rooms and more than 500-thousand square feet of meeting space.
The plan is to set up a gaming regulatory board that would oversee all gambling, including Indian casinos and businesses like internet cafes.

Eric Brody was a healthy 18 year old getting ready for college when a Broward County Sheriff’s deputy broadsided his car and changed his life forever. 13 years later, Brody and his family are still fighting the Sheriff’s insurance company over a 31 million dollar verdict. A claims bill has been filed to award Brody at least the majority of the verdict. His father Chuck Brody says Eric has been going without needed therapy because there has been no settlement. “The main thing is to get his physical therapy so he has his balance so he has no fear of falling, and get his speech therapy so he’s capable of being understood people can understand what he is trying to say. Those are the two bigs things is the therapy,” says a worried father.

Two appeals courts have upheld the verdicts, but the settlement must be approved by state lawmakers, who have argued about the terms. Senate President Mike Haridopolos, Sen. Lizbeth Benaquisto of Wellington, and State Representative John Grant of Tampa have introduced legislation to require the insurance company to pay the claim.

The 395 people currently on death row would have to decide whether they wanted to die in the electric chair or by firing squad under legislation filed at the state Capitol. State Representative Brad Drake wants to abolish lethal injections. But making changes in execution methods could slow down an already slow process.

Florida conducted its last hanging in the early 1900‘s.  The electric chair became the law of the state in 1924 and lasted until three botched executions in the 90‘s forced lawmakers to switch to lethal injection.

Now State Rep. Brad Drake wants to bring back the electric chair and also give inmates a choice of a firing squad. “I am bemused and baffled at the number of people that calibrate their scales of justice in favor of the criminal as opposed to the victim,” says Drake.

Drakes bill would give all 395 current death row inmates a choice between the two methods. those who don’t choose would automatically get the electric chair. Any change in the way the state carries out executions is likely to keep the attorney General busy, fighting new rounds of appeals.

Mark Schlakman, who handled death cases for Governor Lawton Chiles says the hype over firing squads is a distraction from an otherwise broken system. “The overriding concern,” says Schlakman “is that the process itself does not insure fair and accurate outcomes, does not insure impartial outcomes.”

Drake, a marketing executive, says he came up with the firing squad idea after complaints about the drugs used in lethal injections.

At least two former Florida Supreme court justices question the fairness of the state’s process. A federal judge has declared unconstitutional Florida’s system that allows a mere majority of jurors to choose death. And state and national bar associations have criticized Florida’s process for executing people.

Fed up over new debit card fees some customers of national banks are looking for a new, cheaper place to do business. The Occupy Wall Street crowd has even set a date to switch from national banks to community banks… naming November 5th “Bank Transfer Day.” As Whitney Ray tells us, one state lawmaker is also taking up the cause filing a bill to outlaw debit card fees in Florida.

A deadline is approaching for these Bank of American customers. If they’re still using the national banking chain in January, they’ll be charged a five dollar monthly debit card fee.

“It’s kind of ridiculous,” said Tommy Kiggens.

“I’m not happy about it,” said BoA customer Michelle Silva.

Michelle Silva is a senior at Florida State University. She says the new fees will make it harder to pay for the necessities.

“It means lots of meals and filling up my car with gas. I mean it’s just kind of wasted money,” said Michelle.

But it’s not just Bank of America; Wells Fargo, Sun Trust, Chase Bank and Regions are all adopting new debit card fees. The fees are in response to a new federal banking law. The law cuts in half the amount banks can charge businesses that accept their debit cards.

Now the rush is on among some Bank of American Customers to find credit unions or community banks that don’t have fees and at the state capitol legislation has been filed to block the fees.

House Democrat Jeff Clemens filed the bill to eliminate the fees. He says national banks have gotten too greedy.

“They’re making huge profits, making huge executive salaries and now they want to turn around and dump that on the consumer in the form of this fee,” said Clemens.

The legislation faces an uphill battle in a GOP controlled legislature with not much of an appetite for new regulations, but even if the bill does pass there could be a court battle to determine if the state can regulate national banks.

Today Bank of American released its third quarter earnings. The bank earned 6.2 billion dollars in profits, but it wasn’t enough to beat out JP Morgan Chase as the top bank in the country.

One state lawmaker wants citizens to decide if people with terminal illnesses should be allowed to legally smoke marijuana.

Medical Marijuana can be used as a painkiller for people with some forms of cancer. House Democrat Jeff Clemens has filed a joint resolution to put the issue before voters in 2012.

“That’s a compassion issue. It’s a issue of people in this state that are going through tough times and a lot of physical pain and if they want to use this particular drug as opposed to a more heavy prescription narcotic I don’t think there’s any reason why we shouldn’t let them,” said Clemens.

Sixteen states have legalized medical marijuana.