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Heat stress kills dozens of Americans working in extreme temperatures and sends thousands more to the hospital each year.

That’s why Democratic state lawmakers have proposed legislation that would require employers receive training on heat exposure.

It would also require employers to offer free cold water, access to shade and brief breaks every few hours to those who work in extreme conditions.

Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith said most employers already provide the amenities, but there are bad actors.

“And the reason they are not compliant is because it’s simply a recommendation from OSHA that they do these specific things like guaranteeing access to water, rest and shade,” said Smith.

There are no specified penalties in the legislation for employers who don’t comply.

Sponsors say it would be up to state agencies to determine proper punishments.

What is the secret to a healthy marriage?

While that question may never truly be answered, a group of Florida lawmakers believe the state isn’t doing enough to help new marriages succeed.

“The present handbook that we give has a few pages that are nice and then it goes to about 16 pages of how to get a divorce,” said Senator Dennis Baxley.

Baxely is backing a bill that would provide couples seeking a marriage license with an informational package full of marriage advice and resources.

“Things like family expectations. What I am expecting out of the marriage and this life together,” said Baxley. “Things like conflict resolution. If we have a difference what are our signals? How are we going to communicate that so that we are effective instead of just having an all out war and throwing the kitchen sink at each other?”

Richard Albertson with Live the Life, said the guides would help couples steer couples to the existing marriage resources in the state.

“If we give that to them in their handbook right when they get married you can really help couples down the road when they hit that bump in the road and they’re struggling and they’re having a rough time to get some help,” said Albertson.

The guides would be developed and distributed through private funds so there would be no cost to taxpayers, unlike the state’s divorce rate, which stands at nearly 50 percent.

House Sponsor Clay Yarborough said divorce takes a toll on every part of society, including about $2 billion from tax payers’ wallets.

“You’re talking about temporary assistance for needy families, the child welfare system, the juvenile justice system, Medicaid,” said Yarborough.

Those seeking a marriage license would have to sign off saying they’ve received and read the guide, but sponsors said whether couples follow the advice is out of their hands.

The bill sponsors also emphasized the guides would focus strictly on themes universal to both gay and straight marriages.

A group of lawmakers is pushing once again for the state to stop issuing licenses to medical professionals who practice conversion therapy on children.

Gay rights activists argue the largely discredited practice is a form of child abuse that leads to increased rates of depression, suicide and stigma against the LGBTQ community.

Randy Thomas, the former Vice President of a Florida based conversion therapy organization Exodus International, which closed its doors in 2013, said he came to believe the practice as a sham.

“Not only was our mission failing, people weren’t turning straight. We watched our mission fail, but we also came to the conclusion that conversion therapy was deadly, dangerous and destructive,” said Thomas.

The bill has been filed in previous years.

Last year, it wasn’t heard in a single committee.

On the day may cities in the state are holding local elections, Democratic lawmakers are pushing a plan to make it easier for people to register and vote.

Under HB 1365, Florida residents could show up on election day, register and vote.

Sponsor Rep. Geraldine Thompson said the current system is behind the times.

“In today’s age of technology, we’re able to have people come and show their identification, register and vote on the same day. We’re a very mobile society, but we are wedded to an archaic system,” said Thompson.

The legislation is supported by the League of Women Voters.

Under current, voters must be registered at least 30 days before an election.

The legislation also seeks to allow voters to cast a provisional ballot anywhere in the county where they are registered, not just in their local precinct.

Florida lawmakers were told plans are moving ahead to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada Tuesday.

However, taxpayers, not patients, are likely to be the first beneficiary of the plan.

Low income Floridians receiving Medicaid are likely going to be among the first to see cheaper prescriptions coming from Canada, according to Senate Health Policy Chair Gayle Harrell.

“People are really really challenged these days to afford their life saving medications,” said Harrell.

The Agency for Health Care Administration has developed a list of state agencies that are likely to be able to take advantage of cheaper drugs.

“Flordia Medicaid, County Health Departments, mental health treatment facilities, developmental disability centers licensed by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and the Department of Corrections,” said AHCA Secretary Mary Mayhew.

150 drugs have been identified.

HIV treatments are likely to offer the most savings.

The state alone expects to save $150 million a year by bringing in cheaper Canadian drugs.

Mayhew is hopeful approval from the Federal Government will come within 18 months.

“So I am optimistic there is a sense of urgency in Washington,” said Mayhew.

But lawmakers were also told the Canadian government itself has raised some concerns.

“Are we going to be taking away their drugs and leaving individuals in Canada without adequate supply? Obviously, that is not our intent,” said Mayhew.

A second part of the legislation which would offer cheaper imports to pharmacies across the board is still in the initial planning stages.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which is charged with developing the plan to get cheaper Canadian drugs into pharmacies will present its plan to lawmakers in December.

With three games left in the season, Florida State University has fired its head football coach after just 21 months on the job.

From one end of the state’s capital city to the other, Florida State’s 9-12 record under Willie Taggert was a financial disaster.

Seats were empty, hotel rooms unoccupied and boosters were threatening to withhold their support.
It will cost the university boosters as much as $18 million to dump Taggert, but FSU Athletic Director David Coburn said the university did the math.

“Season ticket sales, renewals, new tickets moving forward. Obviously those are tied to Booster contributions to the annual fund. You’re looking at the implications for concessions, parking, all of that. When you look at that vis a vie the cost of a buy-out, the cost of a new coaching staff,” said Coburn.

Boosters will pick up the majority of the buy-out.

The firing comes after an especially poor game against Miami on Saturday.

“He had to go,” said FSU Student Jared Bansky.

Coburn said the Sunday meeting with Taggert wasn’t easy.

“It was a pretty emotional conversation for both of us,” said Coburn.

The Garnet and Gold has been a mainstay for Florida State fans for over 40 years.

The past two years have been the ever had.

This will be the second time in three years that Odell Haggins has taken over as Interim Head Coach.

He told the players to keep their heads high.

“We are Florida State,” said Haggins.

In a statement on Twitter, Taggert took the high road saying in part, “My family and I wish FSU nothing but the best and we’ll be cheering on the Seminoles the rest of the way”.

So will businesses in town which are now hoping the financial hemorrhaging is over.

Taggert’s base salary paid by taxpayers is just $215,000 a year.

Boosters will pick up the majority of the buyout, and any money the fired coach makes at another school could offset how much FSU must pay him.

Five years ago 75 percent of Florida voters approved setting money aside for land conservation and acquisition, but since its passage lawmakers have never fully funded Florida Forever.

Environmental groups used the 5th anniversary of passing Monday, to call on lawmakers to dedicate $100 million to Florida Forever going forward.

Prior to 2009 the program received $300 million a year.

Lawmakers dedicated just $33 million in 2019.
“The people of Florida voted and it’s time for our legislators to listen,” said Christine Johnson with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast .

Senate Budget Chair Rob Bradley said part of the funding was low this year was because the state hadn’t spent all the money it received in 2018.

But he believes the administration is picking up the pace.

“I’m confident in talking to Governor DeSantis and his team that they’re going to move the money out the door quicker,” said Bradley.

That could increase the odds for more funding in 2020, and possibly in the future as well.

State Senator Linda Stewart is sponsoring a bill that would guarantee $100 million to Florida Forever and make the funding reoccurring.

“If we have left over leave it and then give the $100 million again the next year. That just gives us more to work with,” said Stewart.

The bill also would prohibit money in the trust fund from being spent on administrative costs, which has taken up a third of the pot in previous years.

Environmentalists like Aliki Moncrief with the Florida Conservation Voters said overall, she’s optimistic going into the 2020 session.

“The more lawmakers we’ve talked to this year, more are willing to entertain the idea of a dedicated stream of funding,” said Moncrief. “I think that the question is going to come around, well at what level?”

The Governor requested $100 million for Florida Forever this past Legislative session.

Those we spoke with expect him to make a similar request this year.

Senator Stewart said $100 million is only her starting bid.

Governor Ron DeSantis wants to crack down on illegal immigration by requiring all employers in the state check the immigration status of potential employees through the Federal E-Verify system.

The move comes after DeSantis pushed through a ban on sanctuary cities earlier this year.

“I think the best way to help deter illegal immigration is to pursue E-Verify,” said DeSantis.

Legislation filed for the 2020 session would require all employers use E-Verify to check every potential employee or else have their licenses suspended or even revoked.

Sammantha Padgett with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association worries about mistakes.

“What if it comes back and it gives you a false positive or false negative and you’re still subject to penalties?” said Padgett.

Another opponent of E-Verify is the Ag industry.

Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried said it would impose and undo burden.

“So I’m very concerned about the E-Verify bill and what that could potentially do to our smaller farmers in creating these additional paperwork and burden on their everyday concerns,” said Fried.

We reached out to two farmers near the state Capitol.

Both declined an interview fearing if they spoke out against E-Verify it would make their companies targets for homeland security.

And E-Verify’s potential impacts to the workforce are such a concern, even Republican Senate President Bill Galvano said its passage is not guaranteed.

“I expect that there will be a robust debate, but the case is going to have to be made before it passes,” said Galvano.

There are currently only eight states that require all employees to be screened through E-Verify and this isn’t the first year the E-verify debate has come up in Florida.

The bill has been filed as far back as 2010.

A US Attorney and other state and federal officials made a show of force Friday, trying to assure the public that they and others are already paying close attention to security for the 2020 election.

They promised transparency, but also cautioned specifics would be slim.

Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed earlier this year hackers got into two Florida county voter databases back in 2016.

“There was no manipulation or anything,” said DeSantis.

Published reporters point to Washington and Sumpter counties, but software used by the two is very similar to that used by the majority of elections supervisors in the state.

“This is a very real threat,” said Secretary of State Laurel Lee.

Lee confirmed this week it is an on going battle.

“Every single day, domestic actors and foreign actors attempt to penetrate our Department of State networks and the networks of supervisors of elections around our state,” said Lee.

Now, in a show of force, Lee, Florida’s US Attorney for the Northern District, the FBI and elections supervisors are trying to reassure the public they are watching.

“As we stand here today we are nearly one year, 368 days from election day 2020. We are all here to make clear that we will use each of those 368 days to safeguard our election process,” said US Attorney Lawrence Keefe.

And the FBI confirmed what Lee said earlier this week.

“Countries across the Globe are deploying efforts to strengthen themselves and weaken the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Jacksonville office Rachel Rojas.

The state has spent about $18 million on election security since the last election, but as one official put it, ‘We’re in race with no finish line’.

Which means lawmakers will be asked for more cash this Spring.

The State was asked multiple times to confirm the identity of the two hacked counties.

It refused to do so and said details of future incidents, if there are any, would be few and far between to protect the quality of their information.