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Is the Governor and his staff giving transparency laws the runaround? As Matt Galka tells us, a lawsuit against Rick Scott and the Attorney General alleges business is being conducted in private.

Business emails sent between state officials are supposed to be public record. But a lawsuit against the Governor alleges that he and his staff are conducting state business off the public grid.

“I think that one of the most important rights that the citizens of florida have protected by the Florida constitution is the right ot public records in any form. Private emails, cell phones, text messages, and we just want to make sure that state agencies properly respond,” said Attorney Steven R. Andrews.

Andrews has produced at least two private email accounts – gov.rls@gmail.com and eog f l@yahoo.com- that he says are being used for state business – but were not turned over to him in a public records request.

A judge has ordered that Google and Yahoo disclose who created the accounts.

Project Sunburst was launched in 2012. It was supposed to contain all emails between the governor and his staff regarding matters of the state.

“This unprecedented step gives the citizens of Florida, as well as members of the media, an open and transparent window into how state government works,” said Gov. Rick Scott in 2012 when the website was launched.

Scott brushed the lawsuit off at an event Friday.

“Absolutely not, we follow the law, this is just an individual that sues the state and tries to cause problems,” he said.

The first amendment foundation weighed in on the case and called the allegations “troubling.” They say that if a judge rules that individual employees, and not the state, are responsible for their own public records, it could make it nearly impossible to complete a public records request.

Hunter’s rifles may soon be silenced here in Florida, but not because of any gun crackdown. As Matt Galka explains, the state is mulling over whether or not to let hunters use silencers.

It’s against the law in Florida for hunters scouring the woods for Bambi to use a silencer or suppressor.  The Fish and Wildlife Commission could be on the verge of changing that.

“This rule has been in place for a long time now so we took a look at it and, especially when there are restrictions on what people can do, we said ‘are these restrictions really necessary?'” said FWC Hunting and Game Management Director Diane Eggeman.

J.D. Johnson is a retired law officer who runs the Talon Shooting Range. He’s also a hunter, who is feeling the effects of full volume shooting today.

“Over the years of shooting and hunting I’ve lost over half of my hearing, it’s a very common issue with shooters and hunters,” said Johnson.

Geared up with eye protection and noise cancelling headphones, Johnson showed us the difference between a hunting rifle without, and with the lethal stealth. No headphones were required for a the demonstration with a suppressor.

National anti-gun groups are opposed because they say not being able to hear the shot, could be dangerous for others in the area. The FWC says they’re getting the same pushback. But Johnson says the concern is overblown.

“It’s not going to completely, unlike you see in the Hollywood movies, it’s not going to make the gun silent,” said Johnson.

Floridians cannot purchase silencers in the state without approval from the state Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms bureau. The FWC will discuss legalizing the silencers at their board meeting on September 10^th.

Will a Florida city become the next Detroit? As Matt Galka tells us, a coalition of business and policy groups say we’re on the verge of a bankrupt municipality if we don’t act now.

Florida cities are on the hook for $11 billion dollars in unfunded local pensions.

“We were actually told by Senator Wilton Simpson when the legislature failed to address this problem during this past session that what’s probably best now for a Detroit to happen here in Florida, for a city to go bankrupt so people can understand the proportion of this crisis,” said Robert Weissert with Florida TaxWatch.

It’s a growing problem with no solution. That’s why Florida TaxWatch, the League of Cities, and other major policy groups came together to demand action.

“We’ve made promises to our first responders, to police and firefighters, and we want to honor those commitments,” said Scott Dudley with the League of Cities.

Not every city is hurting. But the group says the whole system is like a ticking time bomb, and if one goes, the rest will fall.

“We’re all part of one state, this is a matter of ‘if your neighbors house is on fire, don’t haggle over the price of the garden hose. We have to make sure that our community, as a whole, is competitive,” said Weissert.

The bottom line is, if Jacksonville’s pension system goes belly up, taxpayers in Tampa, and the rest of the state, are stuck holding the check.

A bill was in place this past session that would have helped local pensions. But it was linked to a state level retirement overhaul, and both proposals died. Florida’s House speaker isn’t taking the blame – even though statewide reform was a top priority.

“I think there was a bill, whether or not the House would have supported it, that’s to be seen, what I do know, is both state and local pensions need to be addressed,” said Rep. Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel).

The group says they’ll try to use last year’s bill as a road map to form a better solution next session.

The coalition said there needs to be a compromise with first responders, because if nothing gets done, it’s possible many police and firefighters could wind up without retirement benefits.

The apparent suicide of legendary actor robin Williams has sparked the debate for mental health funding here in Florida. As Matt Galka tells us, Florida is typically near the bottom nationally for basic mental health services funding.

Mental health funding in Florida is woeful, with the state ranking 49^th nationally.

The Florida Council for Community Mental Health is one of many statewide organizations that could use more funding.  They say many people waiting for services wind up in other bad situations.

“We’ve been working very closely lately with the sheriff’s and the counties and what we’re finding is that many of the folks that probably should be treated in mental health centers end up in jails or otherwise in the law enforcement community and that’s very problematic,” said Mike Hansen with the Council.

The council says their 50 plus statewide community agencies are about 500 million dollars short of providing all the services they need to.

The council hopes that the apparent suicide of Robin Williams and other high profile tragedies serve as a wake up call for people who don’t see mental healthcare as an every day problem.

Florida became the first state to start rolling out a new Medicaid plan earlier this year that covers people with chronic and severe mental illness. About 140,000 low-income Floridians are eligible.

Do you know if the food you eat has been genetically modified? The answer can sometimes be elusive, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, one state lawmaker wants to make it easier to know what;s going in your mouth.

Florida law already requires fruits and vegetables to be labeled with their country of origin. But no such labeling is required if your food has been genetically modified. State Rep, Kathleen Peters wants to change that.  “My youngest son…it’s so important to him, and he gets very frustrated when he goes shopping when he tries to figure out when he buys things, and he says just let us know. Put a label on it so we can make educated and informed decisions. That’s all we want” says Peters.

We toured a Whole Foods store with manager Paul Clements.  The store is a favorite for consumers looking for organic and non GMO food. “Of course, you’re alway looking for organic products being labeled as well. Like out 365 brand products” says Clements. We asked “Can a product be organic and GMO as well?”

“it’s shouldn’t be, no” he responded.

Donna Brown is a regular here. We asked her “”So, if foods were labeled GMO or non GMO, would that be helpful?”

“Yes! Non GMO for us. Absolutely.”

The legislation wouldn’t ban genetically altered foods…just require they be labeled. But big agriculture is against it. That includes Citrus growers who feel they will have to modify their fruits just to survive.

But at this Whole Foods, times are changing. Beginning in 2018, vendors won’t even get into this store unless they label their food GMOP or non GMO.

The legislation didn’t even get a hearing last year.

Peters says one way to ease big ag’s concerns is to come up with a reasonable definition of what genetically modified really means.

With 60 Florida nurseries eligible to dispense medical marijuana and only 5 spots available, the idea of a lottery is on the table. But as Matt Galka tells us, some of the lawmakers that passed the law aren’t on board.

How low-THC medical marijuana known as Charlotte’s Web will be distributed is still being figured out by the state’s Department of Health.  A lottery to determine the 5 growers and dispensers in the state is just fine with the bill’s original sponsor.

“Well, anyone who’s been growing cannabis in their basement isn’t going to have an opportunity to participate in the lottery. I think the Department of Health has done an excellent job raising standards,” said sponsor Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Shalimar).

But some lawmakers believe the product is too important to leave to a game of chance.

St. Petersburg Senator Jeff Brandes says a random selection of distributors wasn’t the original intent of the law.

“Let the very best people in this business operate these facilities, I think when we’re talking about medical grade or at least as close to medical grade as we can get, we want the experts doing it,” said Sen. Brandes (R-St. Petersburg).

Democratic Representative Katie Edwards agrees.

“We’re not talking about handing out liquor licenses, we’re talking about providing medicine for kids with epilepsy and cancer patients. I want to make sure that these patients get the best of the best and that their health is not given to chance in a lottery system,” said Rep. Edwards (D-Sunrise).

It’s expected that new legislation next session would close some of the unintended loopholes of the law.

January 1^st is the target date for doctors to start ordering the treatment.  But the process of cultivating the plant is expected to take longer than that.

It’s almost time to go back to school for students and parents. As Matt Galka tells us, school safety is always on everyone’s mind, and a controversial safety bill will be coming back this legislative session.

A proposal that would allow teacher’s to carry guns on school grounds will be coming back in 2015.  Representative Greg Steube says the proposal came from the Sandy Hook tragedy, and points to other shootings as the reason it needs to be discussed again.

Rep. Greg Stebue/(R) Sarasota

“There’s been multiple shootings all across the country on school grounds, and one of the reasons is when individuals like this that have mental illness, they’re going to a place where they know nobody else is armed,” said Rep. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota).

The bill has died in the Senate each of the past two years, but lawmakers in that chamber might be coming around.

Democratic State Senator Chris Smith (D-Fort Lauderdale) has led the charge to roll back gun laws in Florida. Even he says the proposal has merit.

“That was a bill that I’ve had problems with, being from an urban county, I always thought “there’s a problem at school, cops can get there quick.” But when talking to some of my friends from the rural community, it really changed my mind,” said Sen. Smith.

Smith said he was still on the fence about teachers carrying a gun. But one of the original authors of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law says the idea shouldn’t be written off just yet.

“I think its important for us not to prejudge and say hey guns being carried by administrators or teachers is out of the question, I think it’s something that will have to be debated,” said Sen. David Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs).

One tweak that the bill’s sponsor said he’d look into: looking into a state trust fund to be used just for school resource officers.

18 states already allow an adult to carry a gun on school campuses with special permission. More than 30 have proposed similar legislation.

“We’re watching you” – that’s the message from the feds to Governor Rick Scott.  As Matt Galka tells us, Washington doesn’t want to see another election mess in Florida.

Voter purges, early voting cuts, and election flubs.  A letter from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder points out all of these problems and more in a three page lecture to Florida’s Governor.  State Democrats are taking the opportunity to pile on.

“It’s been a continuing practice of trying to suppress the vote.  That’s what Attorney General Eric Holder was saying, that the federal Government is now going to monitor what happens in the election process,” said State Sen. Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando).

Holder says “Florida has repeatedly added barriers to voting and restricted access to the polls.” He cited examples including a 2011 elections bill that cut early voting hours and brought long lines for some voting sites in the state. Dems say the Governor should heed Washington’s warning, and they’re going to keep watch.

The US Attorney General chastised the Governor for making it harder for a felon’s rights to be restored.  The policy has come under fire at many of clemency board hearings.  State representative Darryl Rouson says it all adds up to Florida needing to shape up.

“Anybody can look at what we’ve done in the last several years in the legislature and we keep tampering with the rights of the people to participate in Government by voting,” said Rep. Rouson (D-St. Petersburg).

The Governor’s Office says Holder is just playing politics.

A statement from Scott’s campaign linked the letter to the Governor’s race.  Part of it reads “the White House is desperately trying to prop up the sagging campaign of their candidate, Charlie Crist.”

It also says Holder’s justice department pre-cleared the voting law changes in 2011. The Justice Department did sign off on the voting changes in 2011, but only after Florida showed the maximum number of voting hours would be allowed in five counties that suffered past discrimination.

Florida lawmakers are in the State Capitol tonight for a rare special session after a judge found Republican leaders were wrong to allow GOP consultants to draw the states congressional lines. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, leaders are now promising a quick fix.

Lawmakers came to the Capitol for a rare and rushed special session. They pledged allegiance, and vowed to do a better job of drawing the states congressional maps the second time around. House Speaker Will Weatherford was in charge of and defended the map drawing, but not the consultants. “I’m disappointed in what I saw myself, upon reflection, and frankly upon testimony that some political operatives were doing.”

Judge Terry Lewis said allowing GOP consultants to draw politically motivated maps made a mockery of the process.

Bill Galvano of Bradenton is now in charge of map drawing for the State Senate. We asked about input this time around Q:” No input from consultants?”

“None. None” responded the state Senator.

A Jacksonville to Orlando and a Central Florida district must be redrawn. Moving lines could impact neighboring districts.

The best guess is that this special session is costing in excess of 68 thousand dollars a day.

State Senator Audrey Gibson isn’t taking any of the blame. “Well. I thought we followed the constitution the first time. Obviously, the judge sees it a little differently” she says.

The biggest question is whether the maps will delay the November election for some congressional seats. Leadership is strongly opposing any 2014 election delays.

“We would certainly stand our ground in our position that it should not effect the 2014 election cycle” said Will Weatherford when asked by a gaggle of reporters.

Democrats asked why the same people are being allowed to draw maps, and the voters coalition that won the law suit says it will submit its own map to both lawmakers and the judge.

One state Senator is proposing a compromise for election dates, suggesting the August Primary be run on existing maps while basing the November election on the newly drawn maps.

The manufacture and sale of log grade THC marijuana know as Charlotte’s Web is expected to be a two hundred million dollar a year business in Florida. But regulators and bankers are already warning that finding a banker to handle the cash could be trouble.

Colorado pot stores do a brisk business. Armed guards stand ready at the door. But all the cash generated from sales is posing a problem for entrepreneurs and bankers alike.  Marijuana is still illegal under federal law and the banks are regulated by the Feds.

Now, here in a Florida,  A 40 page glossy presentation from the Office of Financial Regulation is warning that banks could face a host of federal charges if they deposit cash from legal marijuana sales in Florida that will begin next year.Greg Hila is the Deputy Commissioner in the Office of Financial Regulation. He says OFR is monitoring the situation and is ahead of the curve. “There is a know your customer clause which doesn’t allow a bank to actually bank certain entities if they are dealing with criminal activity” says Hila.

Florida Bankers are already saying “no thanks.” Mike Fields is the state President for Bank of America. “We follow all federal laws and regulations” says Fields, “and as such we do not bank anyone related to the marijuana business.”

And if voters legalize medical marijuana by approving amendment two the problem is only going to get more complicated for everybody.”

Pot was designated a schedule one drug with no medical use in 1970. Representative Matt Gaetz is the sponsor of the Charlotte’s web legislation that passed this year. He says the designation has to change. “It’s been proven to be ridiculous by virtually every scientific study. And the Federal government has failed the people of this country.”

The stakes are big, Nation wide, the sale of legal pot this year alone is expected to generate two and a half billion dollars.

Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are all voting this year on legalizing medical marijuana. Alaska and Oregon will vote on legalizing recreational use.

It was only a drill today, but campus shooter training is becoming more prevalent around the country and the state. Matt Galka takes us along on an active shooter training scenario at one of the state’s universities.

An active shooter inside a campus dorm.  Officers respond, and in a scary flash, it’s over. Thankfully this was only a drill on Florida A & M’s campus.

“We want to make sure that if something happens on our campus, we’re able to have some type of training to be able to eliminate the threat,” said FAMU Police Chief Terence Calloway.

Police, sheriff’s deputies, Florida State Patrol and Fish and Wildlife all participated in the training exercise. The federally funded program travels to universities across the country.

“As a law enforcement officer it’s something that we all need to be thinking about and be prepared for, we always train for the unexpected, and it’s something I hope that we never have to experience in our area or that any of our folks have to go through,” said FWC Captain Rama Shuster.

Multiple close scenarios end in hostage situations, and all they have officers firing bullets with plastic tips.

Pulling the trigger and letting off a round gives participants the feel of what they may need to do if a real situation ever happened.  Earlier this year, the legislature nearly passed a bill that would give school faculty in Florida the ability to carry a weapon.  The idea died in the Senate. Chief Calloway says it was the right move, and that teachers don’t need the guns.

“Uh, no. I think people who have guns should be the police officers because they go through training, and it’s been proven time and time again, when an emergency arises you resort to what you’re trained for,” said Chief Calloway.

The training program is in its fourth year and tries to go to 50 different schools a year.

Climate change and environmental issues have been one of the hottest issues for the Governor’s race.  As Matt Galka tells us, the Governor is promising more money if he gets re-elected, but it might not matter who wins in November.

Governor Rick Scott is trying to show people he’s serious about environmental protection after a very spotty first term.  The Governor is touting a $1 billion dollar environmental spending plan for the next 10 years if he’s re elected.

But Amendment 1 on November’s ballot will direct much, much more money into water, springs, and land projects for two decades instead of just one.

“What amendment 1 would do is dedicate funding to the state constitution to protect our lakes, rivers, and streams, our drinking water quality, our wildlife habitat and our natural areas, all without increasing taxes,” said Will Abberger with The Trust for Public Land.

The second term promises from the Governor include tighter restrictions on polluters. Enviro-law firm Earth Justice says it’s a good start, but Florida needs longer than just one decade.

“{With amendment 1} You’re talking about 20 years, and the drafters of the amendment believe that it could end up actually promoting as much as 10 billion dollars in conservation funds,” said Alisa Coe, a lawyer with the firm.

The move comes at a time when the Governor was taking major heat for his stance on climate change. His non-committal “I’m not a scientist” words on climate change have been used as fodder for likely Gubernatorial foe Charlie Crist.  The issue could be a factor in November’s election.

It is widely expected that lawmakers will look to add more money to water and land protection projects next legislative session after only $30 million dollars was allocated for springs protections this year.

Nearly nine of every ten Florida voters are in favor of the medical marijuana amendment on this November’s ballot according to the latest Quinnipiac poll, but count Florida doctors out. The FMA doesn’t want voters telling them which medicines to prescribe.

The 400 member House of Delegates of the Florida Medical Association is just saying no to amendment two.  The measure passed without discussion says FMA legal counsel Jeff Scott. “It was on the consent calendar and it was not extracted.”

But not all doctors are saying no. Cary Pigman of Sebring is a State Representative and an emergency room doctor. In April he told a House committee “I’ve been working in the emergency room for forty years. I have never ever taken care of a marijuana overdose. In 40 years. Never. Ever.”

What the doctors are also saying is that the amendment would allow not just medical doctors, but chiropractors and optometrists to prescribe medical marijuana. They don’t like that idea.

The FMA’s Scott says the FMA is calling for marijuana to be removed from it’s schedule 1 classification so more research can take place.  “And if you remove it from the schedule one category, then that research can take place, and we can make a real determination on a scientific basis, whether this substance is effective as a medication or not.”

Q: “But until that happens, you’re opposed to what’s being voted on?”

“We’re on the side of science rather than popular sentiment” says Scott.

But Bradenton’s Kathy Jordan has been using marijuana legally to treat her Lou Gehrig’s Disease..Husband Robert says it makes all the difference in the world.

“If you take the cannabis out of the picture, she gets sick. You put it back in the picture, she starts getting better.”

The FMA did support the Charlotte’s Web legislation. The non euphoric marijuana should be available to select patients next year.

Some form of medical marijuana is legal  23 states and the District of Columbia. Recreational marijuana is legal in 2 states, with Alaska and Oregon voting on legalizing marijuana in November.

Florida lawmakers will be back at the Capitol at noon Thursday to redraw at the states congressional maps. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, what remains up in the air is whether there will be a special election, and if so, for how many districts and counties.

Legislative staff say leadership’s intent is to make as few changes as possible to maps and satisfy the courts. That could mean moving just two percent of the voters of sprawling district 5.There is also a problem with this appendage in District 10Until new maps are approved and the judge rules…answers on a special congressional election will remain allusive.Leon Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho, a former President of the State Association says uncertainties abound.  “Right now there are so many uncertainties, we don’t know until we see a map adopted that we can start planning for…we don’t know what to prepare for” says Sancho.

One plan being circulated calls for using the November election to hold a congressional primary. A special election to follow in late December or early January. Ron Labasky represents the state wide Supervisors of Elections in the State Capitol. “In those revised districts, however number many those are, two or five, those would be the only districts that would be affected in this current election cycle” if there were  a special election.

A memo calling a special session for Thursday is blunt. It says leadership will “continue to maintain our strong objection to any attempt to disrupt the current election process.”

“Once a decision is made, there’s always possible appeal by one or any number of the parties” says Labasky, who is quick to point out they will do whatever the courts tell them to do.

Special elections can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for every county involved. Who pays? County taxpayers.

Statewide, more than one point eight million ballots have already been mailed using the current congressional maps.

Lawmakers must submit new maps on August 15th. A court hearing is scheduled for the 20th of August, just six days before the August primary.

A lofty tourism goal for the state looks to be exceeding expectations. As Matt Galka tells us, all the visitors add up to more jobs here at home.

With an economy seemingly back to pre-recession numbers and plenty to offer, Florida tourism business is booming. 2013 was another record year for out of staters coming in.

“We went to 91.5 million visitors to 94.3 million.  What we calculated is, that has increased Florida jobs by a total of 75,771,” said Florida TaxWatch economist Jerry Parrish.

More visitors mean more jobs – so the Governor wants to see an all time high of 100 million tourists come through the state this year. Early numbers from 2014 show the state is ahead of the pace. More than 26 million people stopped by in the first quarter of this year.

Will Seccombe/Visit Florida President and CEO

“Today in the state of Florida there are more visitors than live in 12 US states, and those people are coming in and experiencing all that we have to offer, they’re staying in hotels, they’re buying at retail stores, they’re buying at restaurants,” said Visit Florida C.E.O. Will Seccombe.

Florida TaxWatch says with all the visitors coming in, it could lead to tax savings for the people living here year round.

The state benefits when someone from out of state and out of the country chooses to spend their money in Florida.  About 23% of sales tax collected every year comes from tourists.

“What that makes possible is things like the tax holiday we had this past weekend, the nearly 500 million tax break that the most recent legislature gave to Florida citizens, it makes those things possible,” said Parrish.

Visit Florida is not technically a state department, but does benefit greatly from legislature money. This past year – lawmakers voted to up the public/private partnership’s budget to $74 million dollars.

The state’s visitation numbers have increased for four straight years since a recession low of 80 million visitors in 2009.