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Florida lawmakers today moved a step closer to allowing private insurers to write flood insurance in Florida. The move comes as efforts to roll back huge rate increases has stalled in Congress.

Homeowners have seen flood insurance rates skyrocket. The culprit, a new federal law designed to make the rates financially sound. The problem. Big sticker shock instead of gradual increases for homeowners. State Senator Jeff Brandes’ St. Petersburg district is among the hardest hit in the state. “Florida has been one of the largest contributors to the national flood insurance program” say Brandes.

Three of every four dollars Floridians spend on flood insurance go to pay claims in other states.

Under the Floridian plan, homeowners would be allowed to reduce coverage as their mortgage goes down.

Sponsor Jeff Brandes told a Senate Committee the bill will help people stay in their homes.

“and I believe without the bill, homeowners would not have this option” he added.

The legislation brought tough questions from Reggie Garcia of the Florida Justice Association. “Lot’s of limitations. This is essentially unregulated rates” is what Garcia told the committee.

Lawmakers raised concerns over how policy holders would find out what’s not covered in here. The fight’s over either putting those exclusions on the front page, or burying them inside.

Concerns were also raised over the complexity of the legislation.

“I’m just a little bit reluctant to vote on a strike everything amendment when I don’t know what’s in their and I don’t fully understand” said Sen. Jack Latvala.

In the end the committee approved the bill…but only after the promise of more scrutiny from the insurance committee. It was that scrutiny that won Arthenia Joyner’s vote.

“We want to make sure its right. We don;t want people paying for something and at the end of the day they can get nothing” says Joyner.

The state insurance program would sunset after ten years. It has been 40 years since private companies sold flood insurance policies in Florida. If the legislation becomes law, those companies could begin selling polices later this year.

Ten years ago this past Saturday, the kidnapping of 11 year old Carlie Brucia was captured on a car wash security camera. Today, her convicted killer Joseph Smith had his appeal heard by the Florida Supreme Court, where the appeal was as unusual as the murder ten years ago.

Video of 11 year old Carlie Brucia being led to her death shocked the nation a decade ago…

Her mother made dramatic plea’s for her return, telling a national audience “Please come forward.”

Five days later, Joseph Smith, the man leading Carlie led police to Carlie’s shallow grave. He was sentenced to death.

On Wednesday, the Florida Supreme Court heard Smiths second appeal…and it was as strange as the murder itself. His lawyer argued Smith should have been allowed to question jurors to see if they did something improper.

“Juror Misconduct” he told the court, Even the battle tested Justices were surprised. Justice Peggy Quince asked if that’s all there was. “There were no…no factual issues that needed to be developed…on this record?”“That’s correct mam” Answered attorney Robert Strain.

“I guess it’s just …it defies my…” said Justice Barbara Pariente.

The hearing lasted just half of the allotted time…also unheard of in death appeals.

Afterwards Attorney Robert Strain told us the legs of any appeal were cut from under him When killer Joseph Smith led police to Carlie’s body before ever being indicted.

Smith’s lawyer is banking on coming Federal appeal in which he’ll argue he ought to be allowed to cross examine the chemist who analyized Smith’s DNA

“If a dna expert testifies in court about the lab tests, he has to be the one who conducted the lab tests, not some supervisor reading it. So it’s a complicated case” says Attorney Strain.

The court sent a clear signal it wasn’t buying Smith’s arguments, which moves Joseph Smith one step closer to his execution.

Smith’s attorney did raise five other issues in briefs filed with the court. All contend the Death Penalty is unconstitutional because of jury instructions, lethal injection procedures, or it violates an inmates rights. All have been previously dismissed by the court.

It’s been said the two things we can count on in life are death and taxes. Some lawmakers want to make sure there’s no more payments after your time is up.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be hard enough. The last thing people want to get hit with is a tax. Some people in the state have to pay a little extra to be cremated. 

 “Not all counties, but some counties, have begun to charge a fee for this service,” said Rep. Ross Spano. 

Almost two thirds of Florida’s counties charge a county service fee for cremation. Spano introduced the bill after dealing with families going through the extra costs during estate and probate court.

“The thinking was we pay lots of fees and surcharges and taxes in our lifetime, maybe it’s a good idea at death not to charge that fee,” said Spano.

The county service fee isn’t charged for traditional burials. The bills supporters hope that this puts an end to taxes after death.

“The taxman shouldn’t be dancing on the graves of those who have died simply to exact another fee after they’re dead,” said Florida Funeral and Cemeteries Advocate James Wylie. 

The cremation service fee varies from nothing to more than $60. Counties using the system would have made about $4 million dollars on the tax if they used it on every person that passed in 2012. Spano says the loss of revenue can be offset by an online death certificate system. 

“We created a system statewide that allows counties to use that system. So they’ve incurred tremendous administrative savings,” said Spano.

The legislation was approved unanimously at its first committee. It has two more to go before heading to the floor.

A bill that would strengthen Florida’s laws on protecting student information has unanimous support from the Senate Education Committee.

The traditional pen and paper is almost obsolete thanks to new technology. Lawmakers want to make sure the same expanding tech isn’t used to gather student information using biometrics.

Senator Dorothy Hukill introduced the bill that bans high tech data collection. “We can get kids through a lunchline without taking their personal information. In this day and age this is something we need to be really concerned about,” said Hukill.

Senate Bill 198 would prohibit the use of things like retinal scanners and computer palm readers from collecting student info at schools across the state.

Devices have already been used at some schools around the state on busses and in the lunchroom.  Concerns about security, lawmakers want to know where the palm readout and retinal scans go, and who has access.

“The technology advances agree today that we have to be exceptionally sensitive and be able to protect the students and information. All you have to look at is what’s happened recently in another arena with Target,” said Senate Education Committee Vice Chair Bill Montford.

Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is opposed to the technology measures.

“I don’t know that those methods are necessary needed in order to ensure our students security but we’re moving forward to make sure that our students and our students information is secure,” said Stewart.

The bill passed the education committee unanimously with a vote of 9 to 0. The bill would also make it mandatory that parents are notified annually about their rights regarding education records.

Florida lawmakers are moving quickly to close loopholes in the sex predator registration and civil commitment laws that allowed accused killer Donald Smith to escape scrutiny. The legislation could be the first bills signed into law this year..

Sex Predators would face increased registration, including their cars and email. Senator Greg Evers told the committee “ I don’t care if they are living under a bridge.”

Legislation would also make it harder for predators to leave custody after their sentences are over.  “The bill fixes loopholes where inmates were inadvertently released from custody. And under this bill, these individuals will be detained and evaluated for civil commitment” said Sen. Denise Grimsley of Lake Wales.

The legislation is on the fast track after last years death of Cherish Perrywinkle. Her accused killer..Donald Smith slipped through the cracks and avoided screening that could have shown he was still dangerous. Sen. Eleanor Sobel is sponsoring one of the four bills. “So we want to make sure that they are not in society and hurting our precious kids.”

Northeast Florida lawmakers, including Sen. John thrasher of St. Augustine are pushing the legislation. “Because I want to get as close to zero tolerance as we can get” says Thrasher.

The Florida Action Committee’s Gail Colletta told lawmakers they were heading the wrong way. She argued better screening up front for everyone arrested would keep kids safer. “And they would have been able to identify at this point that this is a high risk offender, whether sexually motivated or not, that information given to a judge. He would more than likely not been pled down” says Colletta

Lawmakers plan on a full Senate vote on the first day of the legislative session…making it likely that this package will be the first bills signed into law.

Florida’s Sex Predator Legislation in Florida is named for 9 year old Jimmy Ryce, who was murdered in 1995. His killers execution is set for next week.

The legislation also requires at least two experts in sexual predators to agree that someone is not a danger to society before they can be released, even if their sentence has expired.

State Attorney’s from 35 counties began reviewing hundreds of drug cases Monday. They’re dealing with the fallout of an FDLE evidence tampering investigation

Willie Meggs handles six counties for Florida’s 2^nd Judicial Circuit. He said his office started going back through almost 50 drug related cases. All relied on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s crime lab in Pensacola to test evidence. On Friday, Meggs was forced to ask for an extension on a trial after he discovered some evidence was swapped with over the counter pills “We’ve got to go back and look over all of our cases that have been sent to that lab in Pensacola. Even the closed ones, the tried ones, it’s a pretty big task” says Meggs

On Saturday. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they had relieved a chemist at the Pensacola lab  after finding prescription pill evidence was missing. Over the counter drugs had been substituted. FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey called the investigation unusual because it involves one of his own. “We have not had a bad apple problem, and this individual would have been way down on my list if you had asked me for that.”

Bailey says the evidence tampering could affect thousands of cases in 35 counties across Florida. Meggs believes the problem is a byproduct of budget cuts to the department.

“This is a spinoff. It would be much better to have more personal contact with our lab people than we do, but in today’s economy we’re not able to do that.”

And with compromised evidence, Meggs and others are unsure how pending or past cases will be resolved…including some who have been convicted and are now certain to appeal.

After being vacant for ten months, Florida has a new Lt. Governor. Former State Representative and Miami Dade Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera took the oath of office at the State Capitol today.  The job is largely undefined.

Florida went without a Lt. Governor for almost a hundred years.   The job was re-created in 1968, On Monday, former State Representative and Miami Dade Property Appraiser took the oath in a private ceremony in the Governor’s office. He becomes the 11th Second in command in modern times.

“I just look forward to being a part of the team and helping in any way I can” Lopez-Cantera told reporters outside the Governor’s Mansion. Rick Scott chimed in as well. “He’s going to do a great job.  Look at all the relationships that he;s had to have to get all of the things  he’s gotten done. He ushered in tax reform, he was majority leader, majority whip.”

Lopez-Canter’s father, who shares his son’s name. was understandably proud. “He was a heck of a young ma..but look..he turned out great! I’m very proud.”

A private lunch followed at the Governor’s Mansion. Only one Democrat..A Miami Dade State Senator..attended.

The job of Lt Governor is largely undefined and it can change everyday.

Lozpez-Cantera was majority whip when Adam Hasner’s was majority leader and says

“Carlos is someone who is fiercely loyal, and also fiercely competitive”.

St. Augustine  State Senator John Thrasher was once widely reported to have turned the job down.“He’ll be a real asset to the Governor” Thrasher says, and was then asked why he didn’t want the job. He responded “I’m happy doing what I’m doing… I’m happy doing what I’m doing.”

Lopez-Cantera is the first Hispanic to hold the job. He replaces Jennifer Carroll who resigned in March after being connected to an internet cafe company charged with illegal activity.

After being vacant for ten months, Florida has a new Lt. Governor. Former State Representative and Miami Dade Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera took the oath of office at the State Capitol today.  The job is largely undefined.

Florida went without a Lt. Governor for almost a hundred years.   The job was re-created in 1968, On Monday, former State Representative and Miami Dade Property Appraiser took the oath in a private ceremony in the Governor’s office. He becomes the 11th Second in command in modern times.

“I just look forward to being a part of the team and helping in any way I can” Lopez-Cantera told reporters outside the Governor’s Mansion. Rick Scott chimed in as well. “He’s going to do a great job.  Look at all the relationships that he;s had to have to get all of the things  he’s gotten done. He ushered in tax reform, he was majority leader, majority whip.”

Lopez-Canter’s father, who shares his son’s name. was understandably proud. “He was a heck of a young ma..but look..he turned out great! I’m very proud.”

A private lunch followed at the Governor’s Mansion. Only one Democrat..A Miami Dade State Senator..attended.

The job of Lt Governor is largely undefined and it can change everyday.

Lozpez-Cantera was majority whip when Adam Hasner’s was majority leader and says

“Carlos is someone who is fiercely loyal, and also fiercely competitive”.

St. Augustine  State Senator John Thrasher was once widely reported to have turned the job down.“He’ll be a real asset to the Governor” Thrasher says, and was then asked why he didn’t want the job. He responded “I’m happy doing what I’m doing… I’m happy doing what I’m doing.”

Lopez-Cantera is the first Hispanic to hold the job. He replaces Jennifer Carroll who resigned in March after being connected to an internet cafe company charged with illegal activity.