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5 people were inducted into the Veterans Hall of Fame today, but controversy continues to swirl around three who were nominated but not chosen because they served in the Confederate army. The law as written says they must have served in the US Military. One of them was David Lang’s great grandfather, who went on to found the modern National Guard in Florida. Land called the decision political.

“They came back from the war, they became citizens and they went forward from that point. In 1885, 20 years after the war, my great grandfather was appointed the adjutant General of the State of Florida” says Lang.

Dale Landry of the NAACP says the Conferate soldiers do not belong in the same Hall of Fame. “These were folks who fought in opposition. They killed veterans, they killed members if the United States Armed forces, you see, so, the confederacy fought against the United States armed forces.”

State lawmakers are planning on revising the law to allow the inclusion of all three who were omitted from the Hall of Fame today.

The Governor and Cabinet today authorized the Hurricane Cat fund to explore buying up to two billion in Hurricane reinsurance on the private market. The move could save billions more if the state is hit with a catastrophic storm this coming hurricane season. Ash Williams told the states executives that there has never been a better time to try and limit future losses.

“The idea here is for us to go into the market, take advantage of potentially take advantage of historically low reinsurance rates, together with the fact the Hurricane Catastrophe fund is in the strongest financial position it has ever been in.”

Two of the reasons reinsurance costs have come down is the fact of storm activity, and more capital in the market looking to sell reinsurance because of the lack of storms.

The Governor and three Cabinet members all have private attorneys representing them in a law suit brought by media groups alleging they violated open meetings laws when the former head of the Dept of Law Enforcement was forced from office. Today, taking pains not to violate the same law, they agreed to search for a private attorney to represent all four as a group. Attorney General Pam Bondi will lead the search effort.

“We are all named defendants in separate law suits, and we are all represented by our general counsels.”

The group will hold a conference call next Tuesday to choose a lawyer. They authorized spending up to $50,000.The public will be allowed to listen to the call.

The state’s deal with the Seminole Indians allowing them to operate banked card games like black jack runs out in July. The Tribe is running its third TV spot in as many weeks to convince lawmakers to keep the current deal. Rick Scott has been negotiating with the Indians, but some lawmakers say he has turned that authority over to the legislature. Senate President Andy Gardiner says that hasn’t happened yet, but says the Senate is willing to take it on if necessary.

“You know, how we are in the Senate is we’re not afraid to take on big issues and we may just do that. But I’ll leave it to the Chairman’s decision if he wants to get in the middle of all that”

If the agreement expires, the Tribe has 90 days from July first to stop the card games that pay the state more than a billion dollars a year.

The Florida Senate took the first steps in making sure gun owners, who don’t have concealed carry permits, can take their firearms with them during a hurricane evacuation. As Matt Galka tells us, it’s a change from last years stance.

It’s been nearly a decade since Floridians were forced from their homes because of a hurricane. If and when there’s a next time, the Florida Senate wants to make sure a gun owner doesn’t have to leave their weapon at home.

Sen. Jeff Brandes/(R) St.Petersburg

“You’ve got your kids, your dog, you put them in the car, you grab your personal belongings which may include a firearm, you bring those with you and so that you don’t get charged with a felony for being out of compliance of Florida’s gun laws,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) who sponsored the legislation.

The bill allows anyone to travel with their gun if they’re forced to evacuate, including those without a concealed carry permit. They’d have 48 hours before they’d be breaking the law.

The bill passed 29-10 with all no votes being Democrats.

“Why in the world would we want to increase anxiety by having a lot of guns next to children and families?” asked Sen. Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville).

Sen. Chris Smith (D-Fort Lauderdale) suggested getting rid of other laws if they’re going to get rid of this one.

“There’s a lot going on I agree, so why don’t we take out reckless driving, because when they’re driving away from this hurricane and trying to get away, they could get arrested for reckless driving, so lets just get rid of that,” said Smith sarcastically.

Brandes said it’s highly unlikely the bill would even have to be put into effect.

“I live in Pinellas County. I think I’ve faced a mandatory evacuation once or twice in my entire life,” he said.

Supporters cited Hurricane Katrina where people were charged for having their guns on them while evacuating.

The legislation was opposed by law enforcement last year but they got behind the proposal after the 48 hour limit was tacked onto the bill.

It was the first law in the country passed to protect confidential informants being used by police, but as Matt Galka tells us, the family of the murdered girl the law was named for is back this year trying to strengthen it.

Rachel Hoffman was only 23 and had recently graduated from Florida State when she was murdered will working as a confidential informant for the Tallahassee police.  She was doing the work in exchange for leniency on a marijuana and prescription pill charge.

Hoffman was killed while attempting to buy drugs and a gun from two men in the 2008 sting operation. She had virtually no training and hadn’t been able to consult with anyone before agreeing.

Her father, Irv, and their attorney Lance Block are back at the Capitol trying to strengthen Rachel’s Law.  Put into effect in 2009, the family says the bill didn’t go far enough.

“Rachel was not suitable to be a confidential informant, she broke almost all the guidelines of being a confidential informant,” said Irv Hoffman.

Rachel was in a court ordered program which forbade her from being around drugs even though she was sent out to buy them.

“Sending them out there to do police work is wrong, you wouldn’t send alcoholic into a bar for help so why would you send a person with an addiction problem to buy drugs,” said Hoffman.

The proposed revisions to the law include putting in more safeguards for confidential informants as well as prohibiting minors in taking part. Any law enforcement violating the provisions could be faced with a felony.

Attorney Lance Block said annual reports from police departments about informant data are also necessary.

“Most importantly, we don’t know how many people are being killed or hurt while being involved in these types of transactions,” said Block.

FDLE would required to put out an annual report if the changes to the law pass.

Informants would no longer be able to go undercover to buy drugs if they’re involved in a drug treatment program. They would also be allowed to speak with a lawyer before agreeing to do the police work.

Hard alcohol could be getting a spot next to beer and wine at the grocery store. As Matt Galka tells us, the proposal is getting mixed reviews in the Capitol.

Keeping liquor away from the lettuce in the grocery aisle has been on the books for 80 years. Representative Greg Steube’s proposal would change that.

“It’s been something that’s been in place since 1935, obviously we should go back and see if it’s still necessary,” said the Sarasota Republican.

Currently, grocers or convenience stores need to have a separate door to go into the main store, where you could buy beer, and the liquor store, where you could buy other hard alcohol.

But the Senate isn’t as ready to tear the wall down.  Sen. Kelli Stargel filed an amendment that would still keep the liquor store separate from other stores.

“My opposition to the bill as a whole, was that I don’t want to have liquor store, hard liquor on the shelves in the regular store. I think they need to be a separate liquor store. I think this bill accomplishes that, it is still a separate liquor store, it just gives the convenience of a door,” said Sen. Stragel (R-Lakeland).

Her proposal would allow a direct door from a grocery or convenience store to the liquor store instead of having to go outside.

“They watered it down, I mean, basically what they did was allow a door in the wall, but staff’s interpretation of it is that it wouldn’t allow you to go in there and purchase it after you’ve been in the main store,” said Rep. Steube.

Grocery giant Publix has strongly opposed mixing liquor and groceries – they run separate stores for each.  Independent liquor stores are also worried repealing the current law could cut into their sales.

The Senate’s version of the bill has two more stops before it could get a vote on the Senate floor.

Changing Florida’s Standardized Testing procedures will be one of the most talked about proposals at the end of 2015’s legislative session. As Matt Galka tells us, with the House already moving on their ideas and a testing debacle still fresh in the minds of many, the Florida Senate is now pushing their own reforms.

Seminole County teacher Sandra Maldonado-Ross was part of the pilot program for the new Florida Standards Assessment test.  She said it was easy to see problems coming.

“In my opinion it was horrible. I mean, like I said, the kids aren’t taught to write an essay with their computers. They’re taught to write them with pen and paper, pencil, draw on graphic organizers and that’s not what this test did,” she said.

A rollout that started with a thud is just part of laundry list of complaints lawmakers have heard about the new state standardized tests.

“We’re feeding them garbage with this Common Core curriculum,” Chris Quakenbush told a Senate committee. Quackenbush is part of a group called Stop Common Core Florida.

A day after the House passed a bill that would scale back some exams, the Senate had their crack at it.  The Senate proposal would put a 5 percent of school hours limit on testing.  It would also allow for schools to apply for a waiver of consequences if the they had too much trouble with the computer testing. Senator Don Gaetz said Florida wouldn’t back down from accountability.

“If there are people that came here hoping that we would take down the goal posts, and we simply wouldn’t keep score anymore in Florida, you wont’ be getting any support from this Senator,” said Sen. Gaetz (R-Niceville).

Technical glitches and an alleged cyber attack plagued the rollout of the Florida Standards Asessments, and that’s why the Senate bill is going to allow the state to collect damages from the vendor.

“Those monies would go back to the school district. The intent is there to offset any cost that was caused by the problems that occurred in the rollout,” said Sen. Legg (R-Lutz).

Another difference in the House and Senate bills: school start dates. The House would allow schools to start as early as August 10^th, something the Senate did not include.

Lawmakers acknowledged the differences in both bills and hope to iron them out. If they don’t, as Senator John Legg put it, then both sides would lose.

The next time your local college or university is looking to hire a new President, Dean, or Provost, you may not have any information on who is being considered until the very end.  The legislation was up in for its final Senate Committee hearing this afternoon, but lawmakers decided to take some more time.

Four state colleges in Florida are currently looking for new Presidents. The application process is open and public, in part because naming a college President is a big deal. In the case of FSU’s recently selected John Thrasher, months passed from his application to his selection, allowing opponents plenty of time to voice their thoughts.

“You need to care what we think. This is what Democracy looks like” chanted dozens of students who protested Thrasher.

But legislation at the Capitol would make searches for Presidents, Provosts, and Deans secret until finalists ..or maybe just one finalist is announced. You would never know who applied. Sen. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla) is the bills sponsor.

“We will have a much broader applicant pool to choose from if we assure them the initial applications would be held in confidence”

Open government advocates say the legislation implies that former Presidents, like TK Wetherell here weren’t the best of the best.”

First Amendment Foundation President Barbara Peterson says the legislation could also set a bad precedent when it comes to other top government jobs. “Why not school superintendents or county managers or city attorneys.”

So we asked FSU President John Thrasher how he felt about taking searches behind closed doors, given the fact he had just come off a bruising battle for FSU’s top job.

“I think it was an open process for me. (Laughs) I think pretty open. Hey, I’m agnostic about it. I think to me it’s not a problem. I think you’re gonna get good people.”

As a State Senator, now FSU President Thrasher often supported keeping records out of public view. This time.

A full Senate vote could come next week.

Similar legislation in the House has two more committee stops. A fifth state college was looking for a new President…until last night when Pasco Hernando State College selected Timothy Beard to be its fourth President.

A giant sized cow was on display today in the State Capitol Courtyard. It was part of Marion County day, which boasted exhibits and BBQ for hundreds of staffers and legislators. Rep. Charlie Stone says the extravaganza is a good way to make the counties needs know to the rest of his colleagues.

“We’re trying to increase our manufacturing an production, employ more individuals in our community and make the county and state more prosperous.”

Q:”And you make people happy by feeding them?”

“We make people…the way to win them over is by feeding them. We are doing that” says Stone.

And eat they did. The line for lunch wrapped around the building.

State Lawmakers are literally wrapping themselves in the flag…but only flags made in America. Legislation approved by a House committee at the State Capitol today would require state, county, and municipal governments to buy only American made US and State Flags. The Chinese have supplied only about one percent of the flags sold in the U-S, but Sponsor Bob Cortes of Maitland says the percentage of Chines flags being sold in America is on the rise.

“So we’ve seen a drop …of more Chinese flags being imported this year, and we want to make sure that the flags that are flown on our buildings publicly are made here” says Cortes.

The legislation specifies America as the origin of production after the sponsor says he learned of a Chinese city named USA.

Florida’s top Democrats are weighing in on prison reform measures moving in the state Capitol. The House Democratic Leader and two top lieutenants say they would welcome the creation of an independent oversight committee for the prison system, but that idea has been rejected by GOP House leaders. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach says if Florida doesn’t get its prison system in order, the Federal Government is likely to step in.

“You know, what we’re trying to do as the Democratic Caucus is to begin addressing some very serious flaws that are killing people, that are making working in these environments very dangerous. And frankly, are probably putting Florida at the bottom of some list again” says Pafford.

GOP lawmakers say they want to downsize the Department of Corrections. One idea under consideration is to increase the time someone can spend in a county jail from one to two years.

Guns were on the agenda at the State Capitol. Concealed carry could soon be legal on college campuses and people evacuating an emergency could carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

The debate over concealed carry on college campuses has morphed into a discussion about rapes on campus,. Marion Hammer of the NRA quoted a release from Emily’s list showing one in five women will be raped while in college. “The plain truth is…campuses are not safe” said Hammer.

But, for the second time this week, University Police Chiefs , including Linda Stump-Kurnick from the University of Florida came to say no. “It’s about the faculty who have expressed to me they will not fee safe. The citizens, certainly if this bill passes, we encourage people to train” said UF’s chief.

Across the Capitol, the full Senate was asking questions to sponsor Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) about allowing concealed carry without a license during evacuations.

“If you put it just under the seat, or in the side of the door. That could be carrying a concealed weapon with you, that could be considered a third degree felony” says Brandes.

The legislation isn’t being opposed by sheriffs as it was last year. That’s because it now allows non license holds to only carry for up to 48 hours and only when fleeing a storm.

“One of the emergency evacuation sites is Florida International University” pointed out Senator Dwight Bullard.

Several loopholes were pointed out…like what happens when people flee to a shelter that’s in a school where guns are illegal.

Sen. Maria Sachs (D-Delray Beach) says there are too many unknowns “This is not the wild west, this is the beautiful state of Florida” says Sachs.

The two concealed carry bills, on campus and during an evacuation, have so distracted  opponents that no one here is talking about stand your ground.

The evacuation bill is poised to clear the full Senate next week.

A third gun bill, allowing school personnel to carry weapons is moving much slower than the other two.

Several dozen advocates for medical marijuana gathered in the Senate Chambers of the old capitol to talk about how to broaden the scope of medical marijuana today. Among them, Kathy Jordan, an ALS sufferer and one of the few people legally allowed to smoke marijuana today out of medical necessity. She and Husband Bob have been trying to light a fire under lawmakers for the last two decades.

“58 percent of the people want this, okay? And now there holding this legislation up and the main thing we want to let them know is, people are dying. People are sick and suffering when they could have accessed this” says Bob Jordan.

Kathy was given just a few years to live more than 15 years ago. She says smoking marijuana relieves most of her symptoms…and that when she doesn’t smoke, they return.

Florida voters won’t vote for a presidential candidate until the third Tuesday in March next year. Legislation moving the primary was sent to Governor Rick Scott today. The move allows the winner to claim all of the states delegates rather than sharing a proportional amount with other candidates. It is also seen as an attempt to help favorites sons Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. Senate President Andy Gardiner says it will “also help the Democratic candidate.

Our issue is just to be relevant, and whoever, whoever the nominee is. I’ve talked about it…you look back when Hillary Clinton and then Senator Obama are running, they essentially boycotted the state of Florida. They came here to raise money but they didn’t participate in the election, so we want to make sure that doesn’t happen again in Florida” says Gardiner.

Florida was penalized during the last two Presidential Primaries when it moved the election into January in an effort to be relevant.