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Efforts are once again underway in Tallahassee to ban red light cameras. No bill has been filed yet, but state lawmakers who oppose the ticket issuing devices say a ban is in the works. As Whitney Ray tells us, there’s also legislation to set stricter standards on the length of yellow lights.

Jacquelyn Faison doesn’t mind cameras set up to catch people running red lights.

“They don’t bother me because if I see the light turning yellow I slow down and I stop,” said Jacquelyn.

But what does bother her are unpredictable yellow lights.

“Places where It’s yellow, then it’s red,” she added.

At this intersection a few blocks away from the state capitol the speed limits is 35 miles and hour. The yellow light last about 3.2 second. One block over the speed limit is the same but the yellow light is a tad longer.

One big difference in these two intersections is this, the one with the shorter light also has a red light camera.

Some state lawmakers accuse cities of shortening yellow lights to catch more red light runners. Representative Brad Drake wants yellow light lengths to be uniform around the state.

“You make it uniform throughout the State of Florida and you will have an appropriate amount of time to make a good decision,” said Drake.

Representative Richard Corcoran who sponsored a bill to repeal red-light camera last session says the whole system needs to be tossed out and reworked.

“The foundation is so broken and so cracked, there’s no way to get where we want to get under the existing set of circumstances of which we have,” said Corcoran.

Lawmakers began reviewing data from red light cameras Monday. More bills regulating the devices are expected to be filed before next year’s legislative session.

If the legislation passes, yellow light lengths would look like this; three seconds at intersections 25 miles per or slower. Four seconds where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour. Five seconds in a 45 and yellow light lengths would top out at six seconds where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour or higher.

Proposed Yellow Light Changes
25 MPH or slower 3 sec
35 MPH 4 sec
45 MPH 5 sec
55 MPH or faster 6 sec

Firing squads would be the official execution method of the State of Florida if one lawmaker gets his way.

Representative Brad Drake is filing legislation to ban lethal injection and make death row inmates choose between a firing squad death or the electric chair.

“I am bemused and baffled at the number of people who calibrate their scales of justice in favor of the criminal above the victim. I just don’t understand it,” said Drake.

The legislation comes as companies in European countries that produce the drugs Florida uses to execute prisoners have stopped selling to the state.

After a seven year legislative battle and problems finding funding, Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Database is finally up and running.

Today is its first day in operation and lawmakers have already spotted a problem. Pharmacists have to check the database before they fill a prescription for painkillers, but Doctors don’t have to use it before they write one. State Senator Mike Fasano is encouraging doctors to use it anyway.

“We’re encouraging and hoping that doctors throughout the state of Florida will use it. I believe they will. The Florida Medical Association, the Florida Osteopathic Association have encourage their members to use the database as much as they can,” said Fasano.

Fasano is considering legislation to force doctors to check the database before writing prescriptions. That way they can spot people who are going from doctor to doctor to fill up on painkillers.

More than 700,000 holders of concealed weapons permits are now free to carry weapons into the state Capitol. Prior to October 1st, police asked for the weapons, but new legislation prohibits them from asking, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, many staff people are nervous.

In 2005, the Teri Schiavo case raised passions to the point that some lawmakers received death threats. Nat sot  And whenever talk of banning assault weapons comes up, there are more threats.

Prior to October 1st, visitors to the state Capitol carrying concealed weapons were escorted to a lock box. But with new legislation on the books, those packing heat get to keep their guns and they are given a notice explaining their rights.

So now those with a concealed carry permit won’t have to leave their guns downstairs at the entrance, they can walk around the building. But they still won’t be able to go into any committee meetings.

Legislative staffers are being offered a one hour safety course. It includes a list of warning signs of verbal and physical violence and also how to respond to an active shooter situation.

Bill Sponsor Greg Evers calls the change minor, saying police never had the authority to keep lawfully concealed weapons out of the building.

“They’re actually having to abide by the law as it’s written,” Evers said.

Senate Democratic leader Nan Rich is one of those who received death threats during the Schiavo ordeal. She voted against the change, and she wants it repealed.

“We need to go back and take a look at it and try to protect the people who work here,” Sen. Rich said. “The people who work here are frightened.”

Since October 1st, no one has come to the Capitol with a gun.

In the last year, the average of someone with a concealed weapon coming through security with a gun was about once every two months.

The cost of a Florida prepaid college plan for a newborn is going up 4-thousand dollars this year, to more than 49-thousand. This comes as Florida universities are raising tuition 15 percent a year. As Whitney Ray tells us, the increase comes as budget cuts are creating larger classes, and limiting the courses available to students.

FSU Sophomore Gabriel Bidot is paying for college with his Bright Futures Scholarship and working during school breaks.

“I work during the summers when I go back home and I’ve talked to my parents about getting a job up here,” said Gabriel.

But by the time Gabriel is a senior his tuition will have likely increased more than 30 percent and his Bright Futures Scholarship won’t go as far.

Florida has some of the lowest tuition prices in the country. So tuition is going up 15 percent a year to catch up. Meanwhile state lawmakers are cutting Bright Futures. These juniors are working and taking out loans to keep up with the changes.

“I don’t have that much money to pay for it on my own, so more than likely that will add to my loan debt,” said Matty Budesa, a junior from Brevard.

“I definitely have to work more now. I have a part time job. I try to offset the balance that way,” said Lale Brown, a junior from Lake County.

They’ve also noticed changes in the quality of their education as budget shortfalls are forcing colleges to cut staff and programs.

“For most of my classes I end up having TAs, I don’t really have any professors like maybe two,” said Lale.

“I’ve actually only had about four professors in my time here,” said Matty.

“I start to wonder if it’s going to be worth. Spending all this money to go to school,” said Lale.

According to FinAid, student loan debt is expected to top a trillion dollars in a couple of months, and now economists are trying to figure out if student loans are the next economic bubble to burst.

Open enrollment in Florida’s prepaid college plans begins on Monday. There are three different plans. The price of college tuition in Florida based on current trends is expected to be 120-thousand dollars over four years. Buying a plan next week could cost 49-thousand. Which can be paid out over 18 years.

Department of Corrections officers say they are being nickel and dime by the state. They say they show up early to check out their equipment and leave late to check it back in, but they don’t get paid for the extra time, which can add up to an extra 50 minutes a day for some guards. Teamsters Attorney Patricia Ireland says they guards are being forced to work for free.

“From the time that they get in line to get their equipment they ought to be getting paid. They ought not have to stand in line, pick up the equipment sign for the equipment then go to their actually work site for the day and that be free,”

The teamsters have filed a federal complaint with the US labor Department against the Florida DOT.

170 Million Federal stimulus dollars are being spent in Florida to increase the energy efficiency of low income homes. In addition to lowering electric bills, the money is also creating jobs.

Every county in Florida is receiving federal stimulus cash to weatherize low income homes.The process includes depressurizing homes with a high power fan to find air leaks like the air flowing out of a wall switch.  This fix is better insulation. Contractor Rick Dollar says the better insulation can mean big savings. “It will save them anywhere from twenty to fifty percent on their electric bill,” says Dollar.

The cost to weatherize depends on the need. Most runs between fifteen hundred and five thousand dollars.Tens of thousands of homes have already been retrofitted.  Russell Davis’s apartment has just been renovated and he’s optomistic. “It’s going to help me with my light bill. I don’t get a whole lot of money every month, you know. I get SSI. So its going to really benefit me a whole lot.”

For air conditioner contractor Rick Howard, the stimulus cash means one thing.

“It means employment” says Howard. “It means continued employment for some, added employment for some others.”

How many jobs is unclear. But everyone who has been put back to work is thankful.

Weatherization Coordinator Thomas Stauffcher says sometimes making homes more efficient is as simple as changing a light bulb. “I can buy this bulb all day long for a dollar, and it will truly last two to three years, and yes, it will save about a dollar a month per bulb,” says Stauffcher.

More than 350 thousand Florida homes will be weatherized by the time the program ends next February.The hope behind the program is that tenants will use their utility savings to buy other items in their communities, stimulating the economy and creating jobs.

Governor Rick Scott unveiled his seven step legislative agenda to create new jobs in Central Florida this morning. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the Governor has been dropping hints about the agenda for weeks.

During his first legislative session, he got two minor tax cuts and a new state agency. The focus? Jobs and economic opportunity.

At this friendly, pro-business group, Scott outlined his 2012 agenda. He wants to change the states focus from unemployment to reemployment.

“If you’re going to get paid during the time you are unemployed, shouldn’t we as taxpayers, expect you to spend time either looking for a job or training for a job,” he said.

After a scandal in central Florida over how a Workforce board spent tax dollars, Scott wants more control.

“Those dollars are supposed to be spent on helping people get back to work,” he said. “Not buying things like capes that people won’t wear.”

And with gas tax collections going down as people drive less with more efficient cars, the state wants private companies to build roads–toll roads.

“So we’re going to look at where we can toll, so we can get a return and hopefully the private sector will put up that money,” Scott said.

Under Scott’s plan, funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math would replace classes like journalism or anthropology.

“There’s a lot of new jobs in journalism, right? No, it’s tough!” Scott said.

As other governors have learned, a legislative proposal is just a wish list, and lawmakers will have plenty of ideas of their own.

While Scott can only propose what lawmakers enact, he has the power to veto anything they send him that he doesn’t like. The legislative session begins on January 10th.

Small Business owners in Florida say federal regulations are keeping their businesses from growing. The National Federation of Independent Businesses is rallying its members to speak out about the red tape they face when trying to create jobs. As Whitney Ray tells us, a coalition of 200 Florida business owners is forming to take on the regulations.

For nearly 40 years Jay Lunts has been in the window business. He employs 20 people and says his business would grow if it weren’t for new federal regulations.

“It’s kind of like death by a thousand bites; it’s a fee here, a fee there,” said Lunts.

Jay’s workers specialize in replacing windows, but because of new regulations now they have to learn how to test for lead paint, and it’s raising the cost of business.

In April of 2010, federal law began requiring all contractors to be certified in how to spot and remove lead paint. The certification costs 300 dollars plus extra charges involved with equipment and disposal.

“What value to our windows does another EPA fee bring? That’s the question. Do they make what we sell better or do they just add cost,” said Lunts.

But not all regulations are bad. A lack of regulations on mortgage companies helped spur the housing collapse that lead to the Great Recession. Brad Ashwell, with Florida Public Interest Research Group says many of the rules protect customers.

“Regulations typically aren’t meant to benefit or penalize any one party, they are meant to protect the common good,” said Ashwell.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses says its not just current regulations stifling growth. They’ve identified 4-thousand pending rules they say are keeping jobs from being created.

New water standards, health care laws, and Consumer protections are some of the reason the National Federation of Independent Businesses says small business owners are afraid to add jobs. The Federation has joined with the State of Florida in a suit to block the new health care laws.

GOP Candidate for US Senate George LeMieux is touting his four step plan for economic freedom.

LeMieux unveiled his plan in Tallahassee today. It includes raising the retirement age to 69, drilling 100 miles off the coast of Florida and eliminating new health care and consumer protection laws. LeMieux says the cost of Medicaid and Social Security are eating up too much of the budget.

“If you are not willing to put forward a program to address entitlement spending you are not a serious candidate for US Congress,” said LeMieux.

LeMieux also wants to introduce a balanced budget amendment to the US Constitution. LeMieux faces 10 other candidates for the Republican nomination and the chance to take on Democratic Senator Bill Nelson.

Governor Rick Scott has signed a black bordered death warrant for convicted killer Oba Chandler. Chandler was convicted of the murders of a vacationing Ohio woman and her two teenage daughters. Scott has numerous cases to choose from. He says no one thing tipped his decision towards Chandler, but told reporters this was the right case.

“You feel sorry for the families of all these people.  Just like I do all those clemency cases every quarter, you have to think about what happened to those families. Those cases..I’ve have rapists, murderers, and I think about the victims. And you look at that case, and you think, those poor people.”

Chandler is set to die November 15th at four pm.

Governor Rick Scott will announce his legislative wish list starting tomorrow. Cutting taxes, regulations and making the unemployed gain skills are all part of the list, and so is abolishing the teaching of anthropology.

Governor Rick Scott got a friendly reception from this Tallahassee Business group. Facing another tight budget, Scott is going after the usual: taxes and regulations; but also University curriculum. “How many more jobs do you think there is for anthropology in this state?” Scott asked the crowd. “Do you want to use your tax dollars to educate more people who can’t get jobs? In anthropology? I don’t.”

Scott’s words are troubling to Dr. Geoffrey Thomas. Thomas just got his Ph d in Anthropology. Thomas believes Scott is just wrong. “There are numerous jobs in numerous universities across the country, as well as applications outside universities, outside academia,” says Thomas.

More than 350 anthropology students walk through these doors at Florida State every day.One of them is Melissa Dehart. She’s a creative writing major who uses her study of humanity as the basis for her writings. “I mean, you can learn from your past and all that stuff, and forgetting the past is not a good thing,” says Dehart.

But the message Scott seems to be floating is that Universities can’t keep raising tuition and that they are going to have to do without some programs. “Do we need to do all those programs, rather than the first thing is we’ve gotta raise tuition every year?” he asks.

Whether Scott will seek to keep Anthropology from being taught in each of the  universities or whether it will be left up to individual schools is unclear.

Like his jobs plan, Scott says his legislative agenda will be focused on seven items, with university programs and tuition one of them. He is also expected to seek an end to tenure at the University level.

Florida sea turtles are making a come back. Two of the top three species of sea turtles in Florida increased their populations this year. As Whitney Ray tells us, even as their numbers surge danger from damage done to the Gulf of Mexico by the BP oil spill may still pose a threat.

Up at Dawn, Bill Wargo and his team known as the Turtle Patrol comb nine miles of Gulf cost beach looking for nests. Once they spot one. They mark it and record its locations. Conservation efforts like this are paying off.

“We’ve had a total of 1,145 hatchlings successfully emerge from the nest and swim to sea,” said Wargo.

Florida Fish and Wildlife found 12-thousand green sea turtle nests in Florida this year. That’ s a record. And Leatherback turtles saw their second highest nest numbers. The most common Florida sea turtle, the loggerhead saw its nest numbers drop by 10-thousand, but they still well above the record low set in 2007.

While the news is mostly good, there’s a threat looming in the Gulf of Mexico. No one knows what the long term impacts of the BP oil spill will be on Florida’s sea Turtles or the entire gulf coast ecosystem.

At the peak of the crisis in the summer of 2010, a massive nest moving operation was underway to relocated eggs from the gulf to the east coast of Florida.

The Florida Wildlife Federation is asking Congress to put 80 percent of the money BP pays in environmental fines to in to gulf coast restoration, so among other things, turtles can find safe places to nest.

“We need long term ecological monitoring of the fish and wildlife populations in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Manley Fuller with the Florida Wildlife Federation.

The Legislation is being debated in the US House and Senate. There’s also debate over how high BP’s fines should be.

Conservationists say the biggest threat to turtles right now isn’t oil, it’s coastal development. They say turtles have lost dozens of miles of nesting grounds to hotels and beach houses.

Work is underway on what promises to be the largest insurance issue state lawmakers will tackle in the 2012 session. Personal injury protection claims are going up even as the number of traffic accidents is declining.

State law requires all Florida drivers to carry 10-thousand dollars worth of PIP, or personal injury protection insurance. So when a wreck happens the injured has medical coverage regardless of who’s at fault.

Doctors are the gatekeepers in charge of blocking fraudulent claims… But not all are honest.

A PIP workgroup headed by Insurance consumer advocate Robin Westcott is looking for ways to stop the bad doctors from abusing the system.

“This is a 10 thousand benefit, what do you want to provide with a 10-thousands dollar benefit. Who are you there to protect,” said Westcott.

PIP fraud happens several different ways but one of the most common scenarios is people stage an auto accident, then begin shopping for a doctor willing to bill the insurance company for thousands of dollars in fake medical work. The doctor and claimant then split the cash. The fraud is so common, clinics know as PIP mills are springing up.

“There is this universe of providers out there that you can’t really link back,” said Westcott.

Insurance companies collected 2.3 billion dollar in PIP payments in 2010 and paid it all out in claims. Add administrative costs and everyone’s rates go up to cover the losses. Governor Rick Scott says the system needs to be fix.

“The cost has gone up. We’ve got to deal with that,” said Scott.

PIP is expected to be the biggest insurance issue of the 2012 legislative session. Legislation has already been filed to help reduce the fraud in the system, but there’s another option. Lawmakers could eliminate the mandate on PIP insurance and allow drivers to decided if they want to buy the no fault coverage.

All the money city and county governments saved making their employees contribute three percent of their salaries to the state pension plan may not be theirs for long.

Governor Rick Scott has expressed interest in recapturing the savings to beef up the state pension fund. The fund is already considered one of the healthiest in the country, but Scott’s wants enough money in the fund to pay all claims at once.

“I think it’s 18 billion dollars we are underfunded. So we’ve got to do something about it. We’ve got to make sure the people who are relying on the pension plan actually have something they can rely on,” said Scott.

Many local governments with employees invested in the pension plan used the money to fill budget gaps. Some gave their employees three percent raises to offset their contributions. If legislation is passed next session all future savings would go into the pension fund.