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Today was tourism day at the state Capitol and the Coastal Conservation Association used the day to promote a 108 day fishing tournament that will give away three boats to lucky anglers. State Agriculture Commission Adam Putnam says sport fishing is a four billion dollar plus shot for the state economy.

“There’s no better way for people to connect  with their children, to get them unplugged, so we avoid that last child in the woods, last child on the water type syndrome. Its a family friendly activity with strong economic development impact . It reconnects you people and old people to this wonderful creation we call Florida” says Putnam.

The Tournament starts in May and continues through Labor day in September. Fish caught from the Alabama border to the Everglades are fair game. The tournament mirrors a similar event in Texas that drew 40,000 anglers.

Florida has so far been stubborn about not accepting $50 billion dollars of federal money to expand Medicaid in the state, but as Matt Galka tells us, the Florida Senate is rethinking that stance.

It was standing room only in the Florida Senate’s Health policy meeting.  50 billion dollars of federal healthcare money was on the line in the form of a Medicaid expansion proposal that could help almost a million low-income Floridians.

“This is something that we need to do, because people are suffering for the lack of adequate affordable quality healthcare,” said Tampa Democratic Senator Arthenia Joyner.

Florida is at risk of losing more than a billion dollars of federal low income pool funding. That money goes towards hospitals treating the uninsured or underinsured. That has led to the Senate’s proposal of a state-run insurance exchange for low-income Floridians – as long as they work, attend school, or pay premiums.

Sen. Aaron Bean/(R) Health Policy Committee Chair

“We have to look at options to keep our hospitals open, a lot of our healthcare systems that depend on this low income pool money to figure out how we’re going to survive providing healthcare for our most needy and our most vulnerable citizens,” said Sen. Aaron Bean (R – Jacksonville).

But the expansion proposal has always been a tough sell in the Florida House.

Former Republican House Speaker Tom Feeney – who now heads business lobby group Associated Industries of Florida – says he’s hoping for an about face from the other chamber.

“Our view is that the House and the conservative leadership oughta do like Mike Pence, the conservative Governor of Indiana did. A consumer based, choice based plan,” said Feeney.

But not everyone’s on board. James Madison Institute President Bob McClure says if the feds are going to pull other health funding, they can just as soon pull this funding down the road.

“They’re not reliable for a proven source of funding for the state that’s been in place for years, why would we double down on that and take an additional and count on them to fund an additional 50 billion dollars,” he said.

If the state doesn’t accept it, it goes toward other states that do expand Medicaid.

The proposal passed unanimously out of the committee. We did ask the Governor if he supported the measure, but he was non-committal saying that there was still a lot of time left in this year’s session.

Governor Rick Scott and the states three elected Cabinet members today approved new rules for hiring and firing the ten agency heads that report directly to them. But the panel did not reopen the issue of how the states cop was fired without a public vote.

Governor Rick Scott’s office forced long time Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey from office in December. It came to light a month later when  Bailey refuted this statement by Scott:  “He resigned.”

The Governor later admitted his mishandled the situation.

CFO Jeff Atwater told fellow Cabinet members: “We are the Cabinet, this is our responsibility.”

For nearly two hours, the four officials who share authority discussed how the potentially illegal firing could be prevented in the future. “Anybody who would think about applying for a job with the state, who is in one of these jobs for the state knows don’t..if anybody ever says to you this is what I think about how you’re doing, there’s a process for that. It happens in a public meeting.”

The Governor and Cabinet never specifically discussed the allegations in a law suit that their aides conducted business out of the public.

Aides and cabinet members will be required to receive two hours of  training on open government laws. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam made the motion for the open government training.  “More sunshine training is required. In fact I believe that’s the remedy that’s being asked for.”

Rick Scott did not directly address the issue. “I think we have a good process. What’s important to me is that we have a predictable,. transparent process to review what our expectations for our agencies are” said Scott after the meeting ended.

Left for another day is criteria for evaluating how each of the agency appointee performs. It is hoped the criteria will keep decisions from being made on purely political reasons.

Scott and the Cabinet are being used buy by 14 media organizations who allege Cabinet aides conducted illegal behind the scenes conversations prior to the firing of the FDLE Commissioner.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has confirmed they are investigating computer hacking that potentially disrupted statewide tests last week. The debut of the Florida Assessment Test was marred by a sluggish and sometimes non existent sign in process. FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearinger says Education officials contacted him late last week.

“Our cyber folks have that and we are continuing to pursue that. It’s an active investigation so I really can’t say a lot about that other than we are trying to identify the perpetrators of that attack.”

Question: How widespread was it, did it cause the whole collapse (of the testing process).

“No, it was one I vendor. I don’t know the extent of the collapse.”

Lawmakers critical of the test say even if the delays were caused by a hacker, DOE is underprepared to give the test because it failed to provide adequate security for the test.

February was the coldest month on record for several states, but here in Florida former employees of the Department of Environment Protection say the term climate change is banned in reports and presentations. A former state employee says a shift in terminology began with Rick Scott’s election.

Rick Scott made national news with this statement when asked about climate change.

“I am not a scientist” said the Governor on May 14, 2014.

Now former employees of the Department of Environmental Protection claim in published reports they were not allowed to use the term climate change.

Others says there was no memo…just an understanding.

Craig Diamond worked for the Department of Community Affairs. He says his agency, which used to manage growth before being abolished in 2011 was making a subtle shift to the term sea level rise.

“To the extent that not using the term climate change pulled the rug out from under a program, I don’t see that as looming large. But, it takes away from the credibility a little bit. People say why are you doing this? Well, we can’t really tell you, but we are responding to something that’s out there” says the now consultant.

Vivian, not her real name is an attorney. In the middle of a job interview late last year with the Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, Vivian says was asked her opinion on climate change. “And I was quite surprised. I, ah, its almost like asking your religion in a way almost, but I didn’t want to lie.”

She didn’t get the job.

David Guest, is a critic of DEP and Rick Scott.

“And what this administration has done makes Florida the laughing stock of the entire country.”

A search of the DEP web site for the term climate change did turn up more than 1600 posts. Many were from before Rick Scott took office.

Both the Governor’s Office and DEP returned our calls this afternoon and say the allegations the phrase “Climate Change” has been banned are “simply not true.”

Six bills in the Florida legislature would loosen up some gun restrictions in school and emergency scenarios. As Matt Galka tells us, a group of concerned parents, students, and faculty took to the Capitol today to try and convince lawmakers otherwise.

The message from the coalition of about three dozen parents, faculty, and students was clear.

“Bullets and backpacks do not mix,” said Chryl Anderson, the leader for the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action.

The group doesn’t want guns anywhere near college campuses or public grade schools.

Richard Martinez returned to the capitol for the second time. His 20 year old son, Christopher, was gunned down in a killing spree near UC Santa Barbara’s campus last May.

“This solution to putting more guns out there is a solution from the 1800’s. Not the 21^st century in the United States of America,” he said.

University of Florida sophomore Natalia Perez Santos says she doesn’t buy into claims that allowing concealed guns on college campuses could potentially stop sexual assaults.

“It’d just be really dangerous having people walking around with guns in all of these situations, because you can’t guarantee who’s going to be the one holding it,” she said.

University police chiefs say they fear potential consequences if the campus carry bill were to pass.

“Anytime you put guns in a scenario on our campuses, it creates a problem for the police department. We don’t know who has a gun,” said FAMU police chief Terence Calloway.

The National Rifle Association says the bad guys are carrying guns no matter what.  This would just help secure some of the good guys.

“9 other states allow guns on campus and they don’t have any problems, in fact in some of those areas the crime rate on campus dropped,” said lobbyist Marion Hammer.

The anti-gun group recently launched an ad that will air until the end of this week urging the legislature to oppose the guns on school campus bills.

After the Florida House moved a water bill through on Thursday – against some environmentalists wishes – lawmakers are now focusing on land. As Matt Galka tells us, legislators got an update of what’s available throughout the state.

Environmental groups have been preaching that Amendment 1 which passed last November was intended to allow the state to purchase and conserve lands. Lawmakers got an update from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection on what’s out there.

“We need to make sure that we have the information gathered together. Why go buy a bunch of ranch land that is in an area that’s a low priority for development when we can instead spend that money buying a priority spring?” said State Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Matt Caldwell.

The tug-of-war over what exactly the $750 million dollars of Amendment one money should be spent on will continue throughout session. And besides just land conservation, some are calling for money to be spent taking care of invasive species problems.

“We don’t manage the national park, we don’t manage the Big Cypress Preserve, we manage our lands which abut. There’s no doubt that we’ve got real problems, what’s the point of saving the Everglades if its taken over by pythons and other animals. There’s nothing left for anybody to enjoy at that point,” said Rep. Caldwell.

The DEP didn’t get into specifics about what should and shouldn’t be purchased with the money, but they said bottom line: it needs to be maintained

“We do want to make sure our state lands are managed properly. I believe there’s still some key parcells that we should acquire as well, and we need to manage our lands and make sure the public has access to those,” said Division of State Lands Director Kelley Boree.

Committee Chairman Matt Caldwell said he’d like to see a land bill in the same vein as the comprehensive water bill the House passed earlier this week.

Problems continued for some school districts today as students tried to sign on to take a mandated writing test. Democrats say test security has been compromised and the test is no longer a valid assessment tool.

As Education Commissioner Pam Stewart was telling the House Education Committee that test contractor AIR is successfully solving problems.

“And we will continue to be vigilant and monitor exactly what’s happening. In fact, when I leave here, I will have another call with AIR just to be sure we continue to be on track” says Stewart.

Students in South Florida were seeing white screens.

Stewart slipped out a side door to avoid cameras.

In Tampa, Governor Rick Scott told reporters that extra time built into the testing schedule would allow everyone to take the test.

“Many school districts are saying the system has worked for them. The way its set up is they have two additional weeks to get all this accomplished” says Scott.

Joy Frank from the FL School Superintendents Assn. told the committee problems remain. “We don’t know to the extent how un-smooth it is” she said.

Senate Democrats have been calling for the test to not count this year. Now Dwight Bullard says since some students have seen the test, it is no longer valid.

“How many versions of the test are out there. Is everyone going to be on a different one? Because I can promise you this, in the age of cell phones, somebody’s going to screen shot a picture of a prompt, and thus fore cause complete invalidation of the system.”

Contractor AIR  is likely to be hit with a penalty. Commission Pam Stewart told lawmakers that’s not likely to be assessed until the system is working.

And right now, answers on when the system will be performing as expected are elusive

The state says more than 333 thousand students have successfully taken the test over four days, which is 50 point 6 percent of those registered to take the exam. Six days remain in the normal testing cycle.

House Education Chair Marleen O’Toole commended Stewart for her handling of the test debacle and urged members not to “throw the baby out with the bath water” or overact to calls from parents.

At 4:21 PM, DOE providing the following information:

In the first four days of the ten-day, two-week testing window, a total of 333,588 students completed the computer-based writing component. The breakdown is as follows:

Monday: 67,785

Tuesday: 85,421

Wednesday: 76,192

Thursday (as of 3 p.m.): 104,190

Since there are 658,827 students registered to take the computer-based writing component, this number represents more than half – 50.6 percent – of the students expected to take the test.

Some of you have requested a by-county breakdown of students having completed the assessment, so I have also attached a spreadsheet reflecting that information through yesterday.

Florida is one of thirty states that does not require high school students to take a one hour class on CPR, but a Louisiana father who lost his 14 year old son is on a campaign to change that. Jim Cobb lost his 14 year old son to an undiagnosed heart problem but says he would have been saved if the kids he was with knew CPR.

“He was playing with about 25 of his friends and Burke collapsed. No one started CPR and consequently he passed away” says Cobb.

Aunt Kristen Cobb Simpson says the problem is more prevalent than many think. “We know that up to 10,000 kids die every year from sudden cardiac arrest, We know it is the number one cause of death on school property, so it can happen to any one at any time, so in our opinion it should be everyones cause.”

This is the fourth year CPR legislation being pushed by the American Heart Association has been introduced. Lawmakers have balked a t cost, which is about half a million dollars every three years, and on mandating something for schools to do.

It’s already against the law for state police to have ticket quotas. Now lawmakers want to prohibit local police and sheriffs from requiring a set number of arrests. State Senator Rob Bradley filed the legislation after two infamous towns in north Florida abolished their police departments when officers came forward and told of being required to run speed traps. Bradley says the ticket quotas are most prominent among smaller jurisdictions.

“You don’t and officer feeling that he or she needs to pull people over and generate speeding tickets in order to generate the revenue to keep their jobs. That’s a questionable motivation.”

The legislation requires cities and counties to report to the state and money collected from tickets that is used to fund law enforcement activities.

Legislation prohibiting transgender people from using a bathroom of a gender other than what’s on their drivers license was approved by a House Committee yesterday, but it may be dead on arrival in the state senate. Senator Daren Soto says Democrats there don’t have the votes to pass legislation, but they can win by using the rules.

“We have a great ability to enforce the rules here in the Senate to stop discriminatory bills like that, that no only hurt and discriminate against our citizens, but give our state a bad name. And so we look forward to crushing that bill if it ever makes it over here.”

Yesterday’s House vote was along party lines with 9 Republicans voting yes and four Democrats saying no.”

Governor Rick Scott failed to meet a deadline to file an appeal in a case challenging his plan to test welfare applicants. Two federal courts have already ruled against the Governor. The Supreme Court as his last option, and now the case is over. Democrat Arthenia Joyner claimed victory.

“So it’s been a waste, and finally he woke unrealized that this was a big waste of time and hopefully he stop this suit he still has in place that deals with state workers.”

Scott has wanted to randomly test all state workers. A federal court has said no, but did rule Scott could test some high risk employees, Which ones are still being negotiated and must be approved by a federal court.

Pregnant women are not currently protected under the states civil rights laws, but State Senator Geraldine Thompson wants that to change.

“We have women who, for example, work for parcel companies where they are required to life 50 pounds, which they can do. And even though they were able to lift 50 pounds, they were forced to take unpaid leave at at time when the needed the medical benefits for prenatal care and to take care of their children.”

The legislation is yet to get a hearing in the Senate.

If you are unlucky enough to be ordered to evacuate in an emergency, you may soon be able to carry a concealed weapon while you are leaving under legislation approved by a House Committee at the State Capitol today. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, it was one of two self protection measures to pass.

Floridians haven’t been ordered to flee a hurricane since Wilma in 2005, but if or when another storm hits, lawmakers want you to be able to protect yourself.

“By your vote the bill is reported favorably” said the Chair of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.e

Legislation allowing evacuees to carry a concealed weapon without a permit cleared a House Committee.

“You want to be protected when you are being evacuated, but you also don’t want to leave your valuable items in your residence when you are leaving” says State Representative Heather Fitzenhagen of Ft. Myers.

Florida sheriffs opposed the bill last year. Now Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri

says the addition of two provisions make the bill easier to swallow. “And they can only carry concealed without a permit for 48 hours, but they still have to be in that immediate and urgent movement away from the evacuation area” says Gualtieri.

Clovis Watson was one of only two of the 13 members to vote no. He worries that coupling concealed carry with Stand your Ground could be deadly. “With this bill, ,I just think it is a bill that will arm a lot of people at a very vulnerable time and bad things can happen.”

The committee also approved another way for you to protect yourself.

This is a slung shot says Rep. Neil Combee. They’ve been illegal since the Civil War, but that could soon change. “The last thing I want is young people, women who feel some comfort from carrying one of these to be guilty of a crime” says Combee.

Ironically, slung shots could be legal before hurricane season starts June first. Concealed carry wouldn’t take effect until July.

The Senate version of the evacuation bill also cleared a State Senate Committee today buy a vote of 5 to 1.

Legislation requiring every county to issue civil citations to juveniles first arrest for a non violent misdemeanor squeaked through a House committee today over the opposition of law enforcement. First approved in 2010, the citations are optional for police, but seven counties have issued none. The Reverend Bernice Powell Jackson told lawmakers the current system leads to unfair treatment.

“In Hillsborough County, for instance,  we had a young man who was arrested for an offense that if he had lived in Pinellas County right across the bay, he would not have. He would have received a civil citation. So thats not fair, thats not equity in our justice system” says Powell Jackson.

Prosecutors, Sheriffs, and Police Chiefs objected to the mandatory nature of the bill. They were promised more flexibility before the legislation comes up in a second committee.