Welcome to

For many Viet Nam era veterans, homecoming was not a pleasant experience. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, veterans and first responders have a friend in a small chain BBQ restaurant.

Mission BBQ has 8 stores in Florida. Founders believe there’s nothing more American than BBQ and the men and women who serve our country.

Watch what happens at noon.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please join us in honoring our country, which we do everyday at noon, with the singing of our national anthem’”

“Oh say can you see by the dawns early light.”

Afterwards Applause.

Florida Veteran’s Foundation President Dennis Baker invited us to come and meet two veterans at the eatery.

“And he fought in World War II, China Korea, and Vietnam” Baker said as he introduced Maj. John Haynes, USMC (retired).

John Haynes tried to become a Marine at 13, got in at 15, spent 30 years serving and saw countless men die.

“Our comrades who gave their all for this county. they really gave two lives. They gave the life they were no living, and they also forfeited the life thatchy would have lived.” Haynes told us before lunch.

Dale Doss is a one war veteran. Vietnam, where he spent five years as a POW.

“There’s so many guys I know who gave the full measure of their life and you always wonder why they went and you didn’t” Doss pondered, but was thankful for a full life.

Patrons here were clearly proud of the two vets, both of whom asked us to remind you that Memorial Day is about more than just a good deal at the mall.

The Florida Veterans Foundation is a non profit supporting entirely by donations. It’s motto: No Veteran Left Behind.

Lawmaker have yet to send the budget to the Governor, but Florida Taxwatch is out with its list of 111 items it says should be vetoed because they were stuck in the final budget without going through proper channels. The budget watchdog says lawmakers did a better job this year than most of not hiding projects. ButVP for Research Kurt Wenner did take issue with much of the final budget being negotiated behind closed doors. They are asking the Governor to veto the items.

“We’re pointing them out to the Governor. It’s up to him to make that call, l but we’re pointing out areas where we feel the legislature fell short of what’s required for deliberation and consideration” Wenner told reporters.

The budget is expected to go to the Governor next week. One he has it, he has 15 days to decide if he vetoes the entire budget, just parts of it, or allows the spending to take place.

A former Tampa police officer who has spent 37 years in prison for a murder during a robbery gone bad had a release date of this coming July 4th, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, a panel decided the release put society, the Attorney General and a high ranking former prosecutors at risk.

Former Police Officer Charles Norman got life for killing a 20 year old security guard in 1975. He’s one of several thousand inmates sentenced before 1983 when life only meant 25 years.

While maintaining his innocence, Norman has become a nationally recognized writer and sculptor in prison.

Attorney Bill Shepard and Norman’s Wife Elizabeth came to the Commission on Offender Review to argue the former cop could safely be released as early as July 4th of this year.

“He shows no tendency toward violence, and exhibits no thought disorders and is in the lowest five percent category of risk” Shepperd told the panel.

But prosecutor Kimberly Hindman painted a different picture.

“Anyone who opposes this man becomes a focus and a target for how he’s going to take that person down” Hindman told Commissioners.

Before becoming Attorney General Pam Bondi was a prosecutor in the office that put Norman away.
“He sent letters to me with veiled threats” she says.

Now Prosecutors argue neither Bondi nor former State Attorney Mark Ober would be safe if Norman is released.

“Because Pam Bondi, Mark Ober, and anybody else who gets in his way when he is released have to start looking over their shoulder 24 hours a day seven days a week” says Hindman.

The panel denied Parole

The decision means Norman will spend at least the next two and perhaps the next seven years in prison.

Afterwards we asked wife Elizabeth “Not what you expected?”

“I have nothing to say, thank you” she responded.

Norman’s fate was sealed when Prosecutors disclosed Norman is still making threats which were recorded during a prison phone call with his wife.

Life Isn’t Life Package Script:

sig out

Governor Rick Scott must decide whether to sign, veto, or let become law legislation allowing big box stores to sell alcohol inside their main stores. It is one of the most controversial issues to come out of the 2017 legislative session. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, supporters say the current law requiring liquor to be sold in a stand alone store is antiquated.

It’s a common sight. A big box store with a liquor store attached. The law has required separate entrances since the end of prohibition. Michael Williams represents Floridians For Fair Business Practices.

“This law has been on the books for 83 years. It’s something that’s outlived it’s usefulness. It’s time to repeal it” says Williams.

Walmart, Cosco, Target and others pushed hard for a change and got it. On the other side, Publix, ABC, and independent liquor store owners. 4 dozen independent owners made one last call on the Capitol Tuesday. The Governor has until Wednesday to make a decision.

Chris Knightley came from Orlando, he says, to try and save his family business.

“We’re hoping Governor Scott will veto SB106” says Knightley.

The independent owners say they can’t compete.

We asked the crowd “How many of you think you’ll be out of business in five years if the Governor signs this bill?” Nearly every hand went up.

Karim Hemdara came from Springhill in Hernando County.

“Winn Dixie already has a liquor license. And they have exclusivity in the shopping center with the landlord, and they, you know, force me out of the shopping center in about six months time.”

“The bill cleared the Senate by a two vote margin, and the House by just one vote.”

Three House members voted no after the roll call but their votes don’t change the outcome.

Scott says he is still talking to both sides.

“A lot of feedback on that bill. You’re right, I’ve had family members who have dealt, had challenges with alcoholism. It concerns me” the Governor told us.

Scott must decide by midnight Wednesday.

Here are the numbers from the Governor’s office of people voicing an opinion on the liquor wall bill.

Phone: Support – 689, Oppose – 266

Emails: Support – 477, Oppose – 2686

Letters: Support – 8, Oppose – 575

Petition Signatures: Support: 0, Oppose – 3989

Sponsors say the law has not had an adverse impact in the more than 20 other states that have allowed big box liquor sales.

State lawmakers may not have been able to agree on medical marijuana, but they wasted no time implementing the solar amendment voters approved last August. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the sponsor calls the voter approved amendment transformational.

A 120 acre solar field is about to spring up on the outskirts of the state Capitol. it will be owned by a private company on land leased from the city. Under legislation implementing the constitutional amendment approved by voters last August, the company, won’t be taxed for 80 percent of the 30 million in panels they install.

“So, it’s a huge incentive for businesses” says Sponsor Jeff Brandes. He says the amendment and implementing legislation will define Florida’s future.

“You’re going to see over the next ten or fifteen years, a significant transition to more solar. And this bill, and they will point to this bill as being one of the impetus’s of that” says Brandes.

The tax break was approved by a bigger percentage of voters than those who said yes to medical marijuana.”

Aliki Moncrief is with Florida Conservation Voters and believes the amendment is a big step forward.

“And even with this amendment alone, it’s going to be a very different place. It’s going to be a cleaner greener energy state” says Moncrief.

The upside for governments or businesses, with no fuel to buy, contractors can offer a steady price for power for twenty or thirty years at a time.

The tax break is expected to be a big incentive for utilities to invest in large scale solar.

“It  doesn’t give us any grief at all that this is an incentive for the utilities to start improving their record on how much solar they are installing” says Moncrief.

Florida now ranks 12th nationally in solar installations. It is expected to be 7th within the next five years, in part because voters said yes last August.

While businesses will still pay 20 percent of the tax that would have been due on solar equipment, homeowners have had a 100% property tax break on solar equipment since 2013. The business break is expected to cot local governments 54 million a year.