Welcome to

Someone has been spying on Florida lawmakers. A surveillance camera was found earlier this year in a condo building just blocks from the state capitol where many lawmakers stay. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, an investigation by the Department of Law Enforcement sheds little light on the who or why.

A hidden camera was found by the State Senate’s Democratic leader on the sixth floor of the Tennyson Condominium, just four blocks from the Capitol, back in May. The Condo is a home away from home for multiple lawmakers and at least one statewide elected official.

“I’m hoping to talk to a manager” we asked. They were not on site.

An investigation by  the Department of Law Enforcement traced the camera back to a Gainesville private investigator.

Reached by phone, Derek Uman said he had no comment.

State Senator Jack Latvala was one potential subject of the investigation. He received grainy photos interacting with a lobbyist.

“ There have been no inappropriate activity between me and my 20 year Friend.”

He spoke with us by phone.

“There’s a lot of rumors floating around about different Senators , different folks there’re gonna try to target, and a, make out lives difficult” says Latvala. He doesn’t discount that he also might be targeted because he is running for Governor.

Law enforcement says Uman was acting within the full scope of the law as a licensed private investigator.

”There is speculation, but not proof that the private investigation was being conducted at the behest of a state Senator who was forced to resign earlier this year.”

State Senator Frank Artiles resigned last April after making racist remarks and being linked to questionable political spending. We asked if Latvala thought he was at the center of the investigation.

“I don’t know” he told us.

The FDLE report also says there was no recording media in the camera, begging the question of whether it was sending video wirelessly to another receiver.

After the private investigator told us he had no comment, we  received a call from his attorney asking for specific questions. We have yet to hear back with answers as to the breath or length of the investigation.

A State Senator has resigned after published reports linked him to an affair gone bad with a registered lobbyist. The affair was consensual, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, there are now new guidelines for reporting sexual harassment complaints against lawmakers.

State Senator Jeff Clemons abruptly resigned after Politico reported an affair  between Clemons and a lobbyist had went bad at the end of the 2017 session.

As a legislator, Clemons had sway over legislation being pushed by the lobbyist. The resignation came after House Speaker Richard Corcoran released a statement saying  “The facts raise a very real question of sexual harassment,”

Consensual sex at the Capitol is nothing new.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, highly respected Clerk of the House, Alan Morris used to give a lecture to new female hires. He concluded it by saying there was something they didn’t want to hear: “I love you honey, but the session is over.

In the mid 1980’s the House even published a fact book for new employees with a chapter called Romance in the Legislature.

Instances of sexual harassment have been more rare.

“He pulled it out. Threw the ice down and then went like that” Jennings explained to a select committee, describing a former member throwing ice down her shirt and patting it with his hand.

In 1987 the House secretly paid 47 thousand dollars to staffer Kathy Jennings. When the settlement became public three years later, a week long hearing ended in a reprimand for Rep. Fred Lippman. He went on to serve three more terms.

“I said, come on Fred, Don’t mess my hair. He said I don’t want to mess your hair, I want to XXXX you!”

In 1980, Rep. Gene Flinn was reprimanded for a hostile work environment.

“And whereas, the select committee strongly condemns improper sexual advances by the member directed toward the members legislative aid, or any prospective legislative employee” toned the reading clerk before the reprimand was adopted.

Flinn lost his reelection bid.

On the same day Clemons resigned, the Senate published new guidelines for reporting sexual harassment, saying it has zero tolerance. The guidelines removed the legislatures Human resources office as one of four places to file a report.

Florida requires unanimous juries in death cases, and judges can no longer change sentences voted upon by juries, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, Florida is on a path to continue executing people who had less than unanimous jury verdicts because of when they were sentenced.

In 2002, in a historic decision known as Ring, the US Supreme Court said juries, not judges must impose death sentences. Over the next 14 years, Florida executed 40 men and women, all sentenced by judges. All argued their sentences were illegal. Then in 2016, the nations high court ruled Florida got it wrong. Mark Schlakman is a human rights attorney.

“The Florida Supreme Court did not apply Ring, after it was issued by the US Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court said in effect, Ring does apply.”

Now history may repeat itself. More than 170 death row inmates, all sentenced before 2002, most by non unanimous juries, still face death. But those convicted after Ring in 2002 can’t be executed without a new, unanimous sentencing hearing.

The practice, known as partial retroactivity was challenged at the highest levels in the two most recent executions, with no relief.

Both Mark Assay, executed in August, and Michael Lambrix, executed October 5th argued they weren’t being treated fairly.

“These legal distinctions, while accepted, and appropriate, are from a fundamental fairness perspective, spurious” says Schlakman.

Partial retroactivity won’t be an issue of Patrick Hannon. The state is preparing for another execution. He’s set to die on November 6th. In 1991, his Tampa jury found his crimes so heinous, it recommended death twice. Both by unanimous verdicts.

The Florida Supreme Court began recommending a unanimous jury verdict to state lawmakers in 2005. The legislature failed to heed their warning until after the US Supreme Court declared the sentencing scheme unconstitutional early last year.

Florida has already spent millions on Puerto Ricans fleeing the island territory and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the Senate Budget Committee in the State Capitol was told hundreds of millions more is likely going to be needed.

State Senator Victor Torres made an impassioned plea to the states budget writers: Set money aside for the thousands of Puerto Ricans who have already come or will come to Florida in the near future.

“I ask you for appropriate action as if it were your family members who are suffering in the same circumstances.” Torres teared up at the end of his presentation.

State Education Commissioner Pam Steward told the budget committee that students are already impacting Florida schools.

“We have a count of 3,066 statewide from Puerto rico, and 4,074 from the Virgin Islands” said Stewart.

While lawmakers say they support the influx of Puerto Ricans, they are unhappy the Governor is spending money without consulting them.

An aide to Governor Rick Scott got an earful over the offices spending of more than seven hundred thousand dollars on three centers to help Puerto Ricans come to Florida. Senate Appropriations Chair Jack Latvala raised the question of the legality of the spending.

“There seems to be a question of whether the pure reading of the governor’s power on the emergency order gives that authority.”

An estimated 60 thousand Puerto Ricans are already here. Many are starting to wear out their welcome with relatives.

Rep. Rene Plasencia (R-Orlando) says there is a pending crisis for affordable housing.

“There is a law that limits the amount of people, the occupancy limit for a dwelling. And some people are being threatened with evection. Some have already been evicted” Plasencia told reporters.

And after pressure from lawmakers Nurses and other professionals will find it easier to work in Florida as the state adopts expedited licensing requirements.

The state is waiving licensing fees for professionals for thirty days to give the a chance to work and get back on their feet before paying for their licenses.

There is new hope for anti texting legislation tonight. Legislation allowing police to ticket someone they see texting and driving has cleared it’s first committee in the state Capitol by a 6 to 2 vote.  And as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the man who has single handily blocked texting law changes is offering a compromise.

If a police officer pulled along side this texting driver, as we did, the officer still could not ticket her without finding another violation with which to pull her over. Advocates who have lost loved ones say the law makes no sense. Jennifer Smith is with StopDistractions,org

“We’re here to share our stories and the lives of the one’s you love” Smith said to open a news conference.

Families who have lost a loved one to texting and driving say it has got to stop.

Jodi Dominguez lost her son, a nuclear engineer in the Navy. while he was on his way home in Tampa to visit.

“It could save another mother to have to go through what I am going through” Dominguez told us.

Patricia Viccaro lost her son Michael while he was fishing from a bridge on his 25th birthday. She described the call from police.

“I said is my son dead. And he said, I’m sorry to say. That was my call. 4:30 in the morning” says Vaccaro.

Steve Augello lost his high school senior on her way home from rehersing a school play.

“She wanted to be a journalist. She was accepted at St. Leo’s College, and she was getting all ready to go to college” Steve told us with tears in his eyes.

Their persistence is paying off.

The man who has successfully blocked tougher texting laws because he doesn’t want pope looking in your phone, now says he’ll support tough penalties for all distracted driving.

Rep. Jose Oliva is set to be the next Speaker of the House. He wants more than just tickets for people texting and driving.

“So I’m fully supporting a driving while distracted law. I think that’s a good thing and it’s necessary. Isolating it to one of many apps on a phone, I think is short sited” says the next House Speaker.

Oliva’s support is a major break through for families who’ve lost a loved one, and for drivers everywhere.

Traffic deaths are up over 20 percent between 2013 and 15. Insurance rates are up 16 percent, in part, say insurers, because of the increase in traffic accidents.

“Being married at 11 caused me to repeat the same cycle over and over again until I  understood what was actually happening in my life,” said Johnson.