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Panhandle residents will see their electric bills tick up by about $8.00 on average later this year to pay for hurricane damaged infrastructure, but legislation awaiting the Governor’s signature could raise rates statewide to harden the grid in preparation for future storms.

Gulf Power replaced 7,000 power poles following Hurricane Michael.

To help recoup $342 million the company spent, Gulf Power asked the Public Service Commission (PSC) for higher rates.

Some community leaders came to speak in support.

“600 hundred miles of dirt roads, trees everywhere,” said Ted Everette, Director of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. “They were there and they were picking up the pieces.”

The PSC approved Gulf Power’s request Tuesday.

With the PSC’s blessing, Gulf Power customers will see a three to eight percent increase on their monthly bill for the next five years.

“We did that intentionally to make this less of a burden on our customers who may still be recovering from those financial impacts and those storm impacts of Hurricane Michael,” said Sandy Sims with Gulf Power.

A bill awaiting the Governor’s signature would allow utility companies to raise rates before a storm in order to harden the electrical grid by moving power lines under ground.

“The crazy thing is, why didn’t we do this 20 years ago,” said Senate sponsor Joe Gruters.

Sen. Gruters said the Gulf Power rate hike is a case example of why hardening is in the public interest.

“That’s what happens when you don’t prepare and hopefully what we’ll be able to do is have the infrastructure in place so that will never happen again,” said Gruters.

While Gulf Power said it continues to harden its grid, it pointed out there are some examples where underground lines aren’t ideal.

“This was a wind event, however I have worked storm surge events and under-grounding power in those instances weren’t necessarily an advantage,” said Sims.

The hardening plan would come with its own cost to customers, about $4.00 a month according to most estimates.

Gulf Power representatives said they expect panhandle customers to see rate increases starting in July, which is more than a month after Hurricane season begins.

After meeting with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that two Florida counties were hacked during the 2016 election cycle.

The Governor was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement and has refused to name the counties.

A single sentence in the Mueller report has raised as many questions as it answered, saying, “The FBI suspected Russian military intelligence hackers were able to ‘gain access to the network of at least one Florida county government’ through a spear-phishing campaign.”

After meeting with the FBI in their Tallahassee office, the Governor confirmed it was not one but two counties.

“Two Florida counties experienced intrusion into the Supervisor of Election network. There was no manipulation or anything,” said DeSantis.

Which counties were hacked remains a mystery.

“I’m not allowed to name the counties. I signed a disclosure agreement,” said DeSantis.

But even the Governor believed the information should be made public.

“I think they think that if we named the counties, then that may reveal information to the perpetrators that we know kinda what they did,” said DeSantis.

The hack originated with an independent contractor who got an email and then forwarded it to supervisors around the state.

At least 140 elections employees got the email.

Ron Labasky with the Florida Association of Elections Supervisors said supervisors are still confident in the voter registration system.

“To the extent that I have any involvement, yes,” said Labasky.

While the Governor said the FBI lauded Florida for being ahead of others in cyber security, he would not say the state won’t be hacked again.

“The threats evolved, so I don’t want to ever say there are no more threats,” said DeSantis.

Because actual voting machines are not online, it would be virtually impossible for hackers to tamper with vote totals.

DeSantis said both counties were notified about the hack prior to the 2016 election and worked with the FBI to eliminate the threat.

Florida Power and Light (FPL) customers will not see their utility rates decrease after all.

The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) broke with staff recommendations Tuesday morning and voted to allow FPL to keep all of its $772 million tax refund it received after the change in the federal tax code.

Mark Bubriski with FPL said the company will instead use the money to pay back costs it incurred after Hurricane Irma, which will prevent customers from seeing their rates increase.

“It cost about $1.3 billion to restore power following Irma and because of the tax savings we did not have to raise rates on customers and today our rates continue to be about 30% lower than the national average and among the lowest in the state and the nation,” said Burbriski.

As part of the deal, FPL will have to report its estimated annual revenue four times a year to the Public Service Commission.

If its profits rise above the 11.5% allowed by law, the PSC would then likely lower rates.

The Statue of Frances Epps, the grandson of Thomas Jefferson, is back on the FSU campus.

It was removed in January after student opposition and a task force report found, while Epps played a roll in establishing FSU, he was not the founder.

It was also learned he was a slave owner.

Now a plaque paints a more true picture of his past, both good and bad, and the statue is now in a less prominent place.

FSU criminology major James French told us we can all learn from the replacement.

“Just in general, I think history, good or bad, we learn from it. And if we try to take that away, we can make the same mistakes again. So, I’m not saying its right or wrong, but if if it is wrong, we still need to have that,” said French.

The same task force that suggested relocating the statute also recommended the renaming of BK Roberts Hall at the FSU law school.

Roberts blocked a black man from attending law school.

The change required legislative approval, but the legislation did not pass.

For the third year in a row, US News and World Report has named Florida’s public universities number one in the country.

Governor Ron DeSantis called that good news.

The Governor spent Monday in New York pitching Florida to new businesses.

He said they understand the state’s great weather and low tax structure, but added it’s the people that make the state number one.

“At the end of the day, that’s important. It has drawn investment and will continue to draw investment, but I think probably the most important thing is human capital. And so we’ve let people know we take pride in being number one. We want to continue to improve and raise the bar,” said DeSantis.

Factors that went into the ranking included cost, the time to graduate, and the debt required to graduate.

Reports of abuse and poor conditions in Florida prisons are being aired by former and current correctional officers. One whistle blower who first shared his story with us more than four years ago, is fighting his termination which his lawyer says is retaliation.

In November 2014, We interviewed Correctional officer Tim Butler, but we didn’t tell you his name or show his face.

“I feel my life is in more danger than its ever been.”

No longer incognito, Butler says he was called on the carpet almost immediately.

“They always said they knew it was me because of my boots, the way I walked. I said, the way I walked?”

What followed according to his lawyer Ryan Andrews, was a year of intimidation.

“For violating his first amendment rights, they paid him a ninety nine thousand dollar settlement and they’ve been gunning for him ever since. He’s a preacher.”

Andrews continues: “You would think the department would be happy when he reports wrong doing or abuse of power, misuse of position and inmate beating and sneaking in contraband. You would think he would be rewarded for that, but instead, when he reported it, they terminated him a couple months later.”

Now, Butler has been given his termination paperwork. Accused of being late and using unwarranted force. He calls the charges trumped up.

“You know, I’ve tried to tell them about the food. I tried to tell them about the drugs and stuff we have come in” says Butler.

And says the firing came after he complained about drugs, drones and increasingly dangerous working conditions.

“And I kept on asking them, I said I need some help in the chow hall. Need some more males in the chow hall. They refused to say that, they refused to even do that.”

He also complained about how inmates are being treated.

“The snitch got killed. They failed to protect him.”

“Butler isn’t alone, This published report shows that a dozen current or former employees, all from one prison in Santa Rosa County, have filed for whistle blower protection.”. 

Butler is fighting to get his job back. Not so he can go back to work, but so he can resign with his integrity intact. 

Prisons remain chronically under staffed. A parade of wardens told lawmakers this year they feared losing control of their institutions, had no money to repair facilities, and couldn’t hire enough officers, forcing those still working to work long hours. 

Ronald Rubin, the state’s top financial regulator has been suspended with pay. Shown here from his February 26th job interview with the Governor and Cabinet, Rubin is the subject of a sexual harassment complaint made public late Friday afternoon. In it, Rubin is alleged to have taken a female employee to his nearby condo on their way to and from lunch, making the employee feel like she later had to hide from him. He also invited her to a conference in Washington D.C. The unnamed woman sought a different position within the agency. 

More than four dozen new State Troopers got their badges Friday morning witnessed by Governor Ron DeSantis.

The cadets have been training since last October.

Sounding off, 54 cadets marched into the ceremony for the 141st Florida Highway Patrol graduating class.

“Obviously we’re looking for the best, who have the best background, who really are going to support the mission of courtesy, service and protection,” said FHP Chief of Public Affairs Captain Thomas Pikul.

Six months of intense training, learning to shoot, drive defensively, and much more led them to this moment.

A point not taken lightly by Governor Ron DeSantis.

“You very well may be called into action after a Hurricane or after some type of emergency situation and I think that after the training that you’ve gone through, after proving your medal, I think you’re going to be ready to discharge those responsibilities,” said DeSantis.

The new troopers will serve all through the state, from Pensacola to the Florida Keys.

We spoke with two new troopers, both headed to serve in Miami.

“I know we’ll be prepared when we go out there because the instructors we had prepared us well,” said Trooper Celeste Sanchez.

Trooper Lynn Lalane says it was seeing her cousin serve as an FHP trooper that inspired her to join.

“Me personally, this was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, physically, emotionally and I’m just excited. I’m proud,” said Lalane.

FHP says it’s always looking for new recruits.

Starting salaries range from 34 to $39,000 a year, depending on where you’re stationed.

Currently there are 1,700 FHP troopers.

You can apply to FHP by clicking this link.

Governor Ron DeSantis has followed through with his promise to sign this year’s school safety legislation.It allows for classroom teachers to be armed, and increases funding for mental health and school hardening.

On Tuesday, students and members of Moms Demand Action delivered 13,000 petitions to the Governor, calling for him to veto the school safety bill.

“If my teacher chooses to be armed it’s not a choice for me and I still have to face the consequences of that,” said Tallahassee high schooler and member of Students Demand Action Quinn Holden-Schrock.

But Governor Ron DeSantis put pen to paper the very next day, signing the bill into law as soon as it officially arrived on his desk.

Starting October 1st, districts will have the option to arm teachers who volunteer and have undergone a psychological evaluation, background check and completed 144 hours of training.

“We have some districts that are planning to implement it. We have other districts that have passed resolutions saying they will not implement it,” said Andrea Messina, Executive Director of the Florida School Boards Association.

The Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, has staunchly opposed the change and says their focus now shifts to the local level.

“We want to put the pressure on our school board members and make sure that our super superintendents understand what the position of our educators is and that position is not to have a gun in school and we don’t want to carry,” said FEA President, Fedrick Ingram.

But the law goes beyond arming teachers.

It also establishes the School Hardening and Harm Mitigation Workgroup, which will review best practices for school hardening to inform how the $50 million allocated for school hardening in the budget can be best spent.

There’s also $17 million for increased mental health services throughout the state.

While appreciative of the extra funds, Messina says part of the challenge now will be finding enough staff for mental health positions.

“And not just people who can provide those services, but we want high quality people. People who are certainly experienced,” said Messina.

Lawmakers like Senator Bill Montford, who doubles as the Executive Director of the Florida Association of District School Super Intendants, say those are issues that will continue to need to be addressed in future years.

“The number of children who come to our schools with significant issues is almost overwhelming and it’s getting worse,” said Montford.

The law also requires schools to establish threat assessment teams made up law enforcement and counselors.

They’ll be tasked with stepping in when a student has been identified as posing a possible threat.

Districts will likely be taking the summer to prepare, so they can roll out some of the changes once the October 1st effective date arrives.

One out of seven prisoners in solitary confinement throughout the nation are housed in Florida prisons according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The organization has filed a class action lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections, alleging the state’s overuse of solitary confinement constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Laurette Philipsen spent 28 days in solitary confinement in a Florida prison.

She describes the experience as one of the worst in her life.

“You start contemplating… how to end this,” said Philipsen.

She’s been out of the system for a year now, but says she’s still haunted by her days in isolation.

“The maximum amount I sleep at a time is three hours,” said Philipsen.

Philipsen’s experience isn’t unique.

The Southern poverty law Center says 10% of Florida prisoners are housed in solitary confinement at any given time.

That’s about 10,000 inmates.

“There’s a lot of self mutilation that happens. There’s attempts at suicide,” said Shalini Goel Agarwal an Attorney with SPLC. “Even more mildly there’s hallucinations, anxiety, withdrawal, depression.”

The group has filed a federal class action lawsuit on behalf of inmates currently housed in isolation.

One plaintiff named in the suit, Jac’Quann (Admire) Harvard, has been in solitary for more than 10 years.

Their goal is to end the use of solitary confinement in the state in its entirety.

The Department of Corrections says it has not been served the lawsuit yet.

In a statement the Department said, “The Florida Department of Corrections is committed to providing for the safety and wellbeing of all inmates in our custody. Inmates who cause harm to those around them are placed in restrictive housing settings for the safety of other inmates and our officers.”

But Philipsen says there are more ethical ways of punishing bad behavior.

“It’s the same as raising your child,” said Philipsen. “When you feel that they’ve misbehaved, do you lock them in a box? Do you lock them in a closet? Is that what you do? And then just leave them there?”

Similar lawsuits have been filed in both Virginia and Illinois.

The Department of Corrections also said in its statement, “Protections are in place to ensure all medical and mental health needs of these inmates are being met. Mandatory visits from security officers, chaplaincy and medical are made routinely to inmates in this level of housing. There are processes in place to evaluate these inmates and transition them back into general population.”

From felons voting rights to restrictions on citizens initiatives, and allowing teachers to carry guns a coalition of progressive groups is calling the 2019 legislative session the worst in state history.

While Republican leaders have touted 2019 as one of the most productive sessions, progressive groups like the League of Women Voters, ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center say it was one of the most destructive.

“The 2019 session was a dark day for Florida’s democracy,” said Scott McCoy with the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Police must cooperate with federal authorities under the sanctuary cities legislation and teachers will be allowed to carry guns in some counties under this year’s school safety expansion.

Citizens initiatives will no longer be allowed to pay by the petition under a last minute amendment tagged on to an elections bill and felons will have to pay restitution, fines and court fees before voting if the Governor signs the Legislature’s Amendment 4 implementing bill.

Progressives hope the Governor will break out his veto pen.

“We hope sincerely that he will take a step back, take a deep breath and really understand that he represents the people of Florida and that these things are not good policy,” said McCoy.

Governor Ron DeSantis supports most if not all of the bills in question, and asserts the 2019 session crossed political affiliations.

“The environment stuff that appeals to a lot of Democrats. We did a big increase in affordable housing, which is important to a lot of liberals,” said DeSantis.

While big policy items were heavily Republican leaning, some Democratic lawmakers say on issues like the budget, they were given a seat at the table.

Representative Anna Eskamani, a Democrat, was most excited about scoring funding for a memorial at the site of the Pulse Night Club Shooting and increased funding for arts and culture.

“That’s only a reflection of the collegiality and the respect we have for one another though we disagree on much policy,” said Eskamani.

However, for many progressives the policy disagreements outweigh bipartisan victories.

McCoy says if the Governor chooses to sign the legislation, the SPLC and ACLU plan on taking the fight to the courts.

From importing lower cost prescription drugs to allowing more out patient surgeries, and creating telehealth legislation, Florida lawmakers took significant steps to lower the cost of health care ion 2019, but one of the biggest cost savers didn’t make it across the legislative finish line.

Elizabeth Markovich has been working as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner for 30 years.

ARNP have either masters or doctors degrees, but are not medical doctors.

Markovich says regulations, which require a doctor to sign on just about everything they do, ends up hurting patients in the end.

“When we want someone to even show up and do physicals at a school for free and volunteer, we need a physician to provide so called supervision, even though they are not there,” said Markovich.

A doctor may supervise ten or more practitioners, charging them each a $1,000 a month, just for his signature.

The Nurse practitioners have been fighting for more than a decade to practice with less supervision.

It was a top priority of House Speaker Jose Oliva.

“I think there a problem with perception on that issue,” said Oliva. “People believe that we want Nurse Practitioners to be doctors, and we don’t. We want them to be able to practice to the full extent of their training.”

The Florida Medial Association fought back, and their opposition swayed both the Senate President and Governor.

“You go through all that training to become a doctor,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.

In the Hurricane ravaged panhandle, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Stan Whittaker believes having the authority to practice within their training would have meant quicker care for injured residents.

“This protocol is antiquated and outdated,” said Whittaker.

22 other states offer ARNP’s full practice authority.

Florida remains one of the most restrictive states for Advanced Registered Nurse Practioners.

Members of Moms Demand Action delivered more than 13,000 signed petitions calling for Governor Ron DeSantis to veto this year’s schools safety expansion to his office Tuesday afternoon.

The legislation would allow school districts who opt in to the guardian program the option of also arming teachers who volunteer.

Tallahassee high school student and member of Students Demand Action Quinn Holden-Schrock was among the group delivering the petitions.

She says while the program might be optional for districts, students would have no say.

“They say that it’s like an option for students. They say it’s an option for teachers, for districts, but it’s really not an option. If my teacher chooses to be armed it’s not a choice for me and I still have to face the consequences of that no matter what,” said Holden-Schrock.

Governor Ron DeSantis has said he plans to sign the legislation.

President Donald Trump will be in the Florida Panhandle for a political rally on Wednesday.

It comes as residents of the hurricane ravaged area are still waiting for federal relief dollars, but Florida leaders hope the President will come bearing good news.

Florida legislators included nearly $2 billion in their 2019 budget towards helping the panhandle recover from Hurricane Michael, but Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley say it’s not nearly enough.

“The panhandle was devastated and the federal government has not done its job, D.C. needs to step up,” said Bradley. “So we stepped up because D.C. was not stepping up.”

President Trump visited the Panhandle just five days after Hurricane Michael made landfall.

Trump’s latest trip to Panama City will be for a political rally.

Bay County voted overwhelming for Trump in 2016, with 71 percent support.

Governor Ron DeSantis says he intends to be at the rally in Panama City with the President on Wednesday.

DeSantis says he’s hoping the President wont be arriving empty handed.

“Why would you want to come unless you’re going to announce more good news,” said DeSantis.

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis feels the same way, and points out securing relief dollars is in the national interest.

“The visit to Northwest Florida would really be extra special if it came with a relief package from Congress,” said Patronis. “Most importantly is Tyndall Air Force Base and the whole roll that it plays in the national security of of our nation. So it’s critical that Congress address it.”

In April, the President announced the federal government would be picking up the full tab for the first 45 days of Hurricane recovery.

Even if Congress isn’t able to come to an agreement on a relief package, Governor DeSantis says there are things the President can do on his own to help.

“I had two asks. One was 45 days of 100 percent reimbursement. He gave us that,” said DeSantis. “The other was up the cost share for all reimbursement from 75 percent to 90 percent. So we’re asking him to do that.”

Arriving with no news might impact President Trump’s bid for reelection in 2020.

The conservative leaning panhandle is crucial to a Republican victory in the country’s largest swing state.

The Florida Legislature adjourned Saturday, 14 hours into over time.

The $91.1 billion dollar budget is the largest in the state’s history, but the Governor says it will likely be lower after he signs it.

After passing the Senate unanimously the nearly 18 inch thick budget was shuttled over to the House where it was approved minutes later.

The traditional hanky drop officially closed the 2019 session.

“From hurricane relief, to the environment, to education, to healthcare, to infrastructure; I can’t remember in my time in the Legislature where we’ve had a more productive and bold, bold session,” said Senate President Bill Galvano.

But the excitement over the largest budget in state history was cut short with a promise from Governor Ron DeSantis.

“It’s going to be under 91 when I get through with the budget don’t worry about that,” said DeSantis.

In the end, 192 bills passed this year, but DeSantis mentioned they won’t all make the cut.

“There’s certain things the government just shouldn’t be doing in any level. If that’s in there it’s going to be a candidate. There’s somethings that maybe government should do, but should be local and not state government,” said DeSantis. “Then there’s other things that you know what may have some merit, but I have to weigh would it be better to put that money into reserves?”

And that’s welcome news to some lawmakers.

“The veto pen has always been like kryptonite to the legislature and so we react pretty viscerally to it, but the truth is we put a lot of pork in this budget,” said Senator Tom Lee.

Lawmakers will find out some of what the Governor plans to veto as early as next week.

But some of the most controversial legislation this year like arming teachers, banning sanctuary cities and the implementation of Amendment 4 will become law with the governor promising his signature.

192 bills passing in a session is the fewest in modern memory, and possibly the fewest in the state’s history.