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First Lady Barbara Bush was a frequent visitor to Florida’s Capitol City. She came to support her son before and after he was elected Governor, to campaign for him, and as Mike Vasilinda tells us, was a major influence in Jeb Bush’s efforts to improve students  reading  skills.

In April 1992, more than six years before Jeb Bush was first elected Florida’s Governor, Barbara Bush came to Sealey Elementary School. Her purpose: Donate a penny in an effort to teach students about large numbers. 

“We decided to collect a million pennies” says then gifted students teacher Cheryl Cliett”

So they asked Barbara Bush to come.

“She not only put in the last penny, she put in one penny more to start us on our next million” recalls Special Needs Teacher Lea Reeves

But one of the first things the First Lady did was demonstrate she knew where the cameras were located, bringing a laugh from the crowd as she re-arranged where her student host was standing.

The First Lady had been invited by teachers Cheryl Cliett and Lea Reeves.

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”What do you remember about Barbara Bush, something you didn’t know before you met her?” Wee asked.

“I think how kind she was and how much she loved children” responded Cliett.

“The whole program was just kids doing it and Barbara was just so natural with everybody” recalled Reeves.

The First Lady spent 45 minutes that day at the School, telling students and teachers “You have absolutely confirmed what I have always felt in my heart.  Little things do count. Not just coins. But little acts of kindness, little pieces of knowledge, and individual people.”

She would be back in the Capitol for her son’s first inauguration, his second, and sometimes just to visit.

And of those people who worked for Jeb Bush, not one doubts that his mother had a major influence in his push to improve reading scores in Florida.

And because Barbara Bush was Jeb’s mother, her impact on Flordia goes far beyond the times she visited.

Update: The First District Court of Appeal issued the order to show cause a little more than an hour after a motion was filed to review the lifting of the stay. The court did not give Redner the full 10 days to respond as the rules allow.  Redner will have until Thursday to respond.

A circuit court judge has lifted a stay preventing Tampa night club owner Joe Redner from growing his own marijuana for juicing.

Last week a circuit court judge ruled a state law prohibiting Tampa Night Club Owner Joe Redner from growing his own plants violated his constitutional right to use medical marijuana.

The state appealed, automatically putting that ruling on hold.

Back in court, Redner’s lawyers argued halting his treatment puts his health at risk.

“Mr. Redner wants to remain in remission. Everyday he misses, we just can’t get that back,” said Redner’s Attorney, Luke Lirot.

“Mr. Redner has never been receiving the treatment that he is trying to get with this order,” said Department of Health Attorney, Jason Gonzalz.

The judge sided with Redner a second time.

“There really shouldn’t be any obstacles to doing this,” said Lirot. “It’s that sacred relationship between a doctor and a patient that the department has put its foot into with out any right.”

The state will again seek to put the ruling on hold.

This ruling does not allow anyone other than Redner to grow marijuana.

“I think that this court will find that limiting smoking marijuana is also an unconstitutional deprivation of the plain language of amendment 2,” said Lirot.

If it stands, the ruing would open the door for other patients to seek the same treatment.

The suit now heads to the 1st District Court of Appeal, but a final decision will likely have to come from the State Supreme Court.

Five of the nine men charged in the hazing death of a 20 year old FSU fraternity pledge have entered guilty pleas. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, four remaining defendants turned down the deal and will face felony charges. 

20 year old Andrew Coffey died last November after being given an entire bottle of Wild Turkey. 9 Were charged with felony hazing. On Monday 5 entered guilty pleas.

Conner Ravelo was the first to plea. He bought the bourbon using a fake ID. Ravelo is the only one to apologize in court.

“I apologize for all of this and I make a promise to you in moving forward I will be  part of the solution and not part of the problem” Ravelo said as he faced the Coffey family.

With her husband gently rubbing her back, Andrew Coffey’s mother, Sandra, was near tears as she told the court about her son. 

“We are haunted by the image of Andrew being left alone in a room unable to get help from his own and without a single brother coming to his aid” said the mother.

Three of the remaining four defendants face a June Trial date. A fourth could be delayed into the fall.

David Bianchi, the attorney handling the Coffey Family’s civil suit, believes the other four will try to make Andrew the guilty one.

“And that’s sickening. It reminds me of a sexual assault case” says Bianchi.

But defense attorney Fed Conrad says FSU bears part of the blame.

“Why FSU isn’t being held accountable, I have no idea. Maybe if the administration would get out of the skybox and come down to the parking lot during a football game they would realize they have a problem.” 

FSU banned alcohol on campus following the death. It has since been lifted.

In addition to 60 days in the County jail, each of the five will serve two years probation, participate in anti hazing events, and apologize to the Coffey family. Christopher Hamlin has asked to serve his time in the Hillsborough County Jail, Brett Birmingham is asking to serve his time in either Santa Rosa or Wakulla County.

Longtime NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer is receiving death threats almost daily. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, threats are nothing new to the crusty advocate for guns,  but says this time her family is also being threatened.

As more than a hundred people packed a County Commission meeting this week in the State Capitol to argue for and against tougher gun laws, one person was conspicuously absent: NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer.

“And my security advisors said, you will be endangering an awful lot of people.”

Hammer was told not to go after receiving multiple death threats.

Q:”I know you have been threatened for decades.”

“right”

Q”Is this different?”

“It’s uglier. It’s nasty.”

Q:”Are you afraid?”

“No. You can’t live in fear. You’re cautious. You’re observant.”

Q:”Have you reported it to police?”

“In the past I have.”

Q:And what did they do?”

“Nothing. They say they can’t do anything until somebody does something.”

The NRA lobbyist did allow us to see a stack of emails, but not copy them. She wouldn’t say if they could be part of a future investigation.

Q:Are you still getting them?”

Yes. Some came in this morning.”

Hammer does say the threats have altered her daily routine. Not because she is afraid, but because she doesn’t want her family to be in fear.

Hammer was near tears after we turned the camera off when talking about the threats to her family. That is a first.

Mike asked the Department of Law Enforcement if they were investigating. They did not respond to his request. A group advocating for gun restrictions also did not return a call when asked about the threats.

A 21 year old North Flordia man who has been involuntarily confined is the latest to have his weapons seized under a state law enacted a month ago. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, police two assault style rifles with more than 800 rounds of ammunition.

Christopher Mark Newhouse got his first of two hearings under the new state law that allows police to seize weapons if they believe someone is a danger to themselves or others. 

”Court is now in session.”

In an affidavit, police say Newhouse threatened to kill police officers as recently as February. He was taken into protective custody once in February and again in March.

Police seized two assault style rifles this past Friday: including An AR-15  with 836 rounds of ammunition. A third gun he was know to own was reported stolen.

Theresa Flurry is the attorney for the Tallahassee Police Department.

“At the same time, the defendant reported that the other two rifles were in the car, but they were in the trunk, so they were not stolen” Flurry told the court.

Under questioning from Judge J. Lee Marsh, the 21 year old Newhouse indicated he hoped to get the weapons back.

“Do you know that you are not allowed to possess, use, or acquire any additional firearms or ammunition.”

“At the current time, yes your honor” he responded.

“Okay, and do you have any others in your use, possession or control?”

“No.”

“Okay, lets keep it that way” 

The court will decide next week just how long Mr. Newhouse will be without his guns. 

After the hearing, both sides discussed a possible agreement going forward.

When asked about the discussion, Flurry told us: “That we can talk about at a later time”

So we tried to ask Mr. Newhouse about his case:

“Mr. Newhouse, are you a danger to yourself or others?”

“Negative”

“No comment, no comment, no comment” replied his grandmother, who represented him before the court.

But getting his guns back is for others to decide.

After next weeks hearing, the law allows weapons to be removed from someone for up to a year before another hearing is required. Across the state nearly two dozen cases have been filed since the law was signed on March 9th.

Crime victims and those who advocate them were honored Wednesday at the State Capitol.

Law Enforcement, crime victims and those who advocate for them gathered for the annual National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Ceremony. Guest speaker Melissa Dohme Hill was stabbed 32 times by an ex-boyfriend in 2012.

“When I opened my eyes, I knew God saved my life,” said Dohme Hill.

Melissa no longer considers herself a victim, but a “surthriver,” a term she coined for a thriving survivor.

“There is life and love and a wonderful life after abuse,” said Dohme Hill.

Awards were given to six victim advocates.

Those awarded included Orlando Police Chief John Mina, for his actions responding to the Pulse Night Club shooting.

“Chief Mina was and remains the epitome of calm in chaos,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Carl Harms was also honored for his work with victims in the State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville.

“My father was killed by two drunk drivers. Two separate drunk drivers, 12 minutes apart and that was the moment that changed my life,” said Harms.

The ceremony comes as the state’s Constitution Revision Commission considers an amendment to beef up victims’ rights in the state’s constitution.

“We have to understand what the victims are going through and make sure that we don’t put the burden on them,” said Weintraub.

Those honored at the ceremony say every person has the ability to make a difference in a victims life, by lending an ear and support through difficult times.

The victims rights amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, is up for a final vote before the Constitution Revision Commission next week. If approved for the ballot it would need 60% voter approval in November.

Update: The Leon County Commission approved the ordinance on a 6-1 vote shortly after 11 PM

Hundreds of people have signed up to speak at at contentious County Commission hearing tonight for an ordinance that couldn’t get a hearing before the Parkland shootings. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the measure would close the so called gun show loophole. 

No background checks are required for one individual to sell a gun to another in Florida. But county commissioners in the state Capitol want to change that. The proposed ordinance has drawn hundreds of speakers. It would require background checks on any gun sale at a place where the public is invited. 

“This is a loophole.” Says sponsor Mary Ann Lindley.

“I’m kinda flabbergasted at the overwhelming response against it, because it really is a precautionary measure, a slight thing. You get background checks to get a passport” argues Lindley.

Gun dealer Mark Folmar says the prohibition will extend to neighborhood yard sales.

“You either are personally restricted in selling that item or having to follow a waiting period or having to go through a licensee to sell that firearm” says Folmar.

Marion Hammer, the Lobbyist for the NRA says the idea infringes on a persons rights to sell their personal property. 

“And the Parkland shooter went through a background check and purchased his rifle legally. He cleared the background check because government officials didn’t do their job.” Hammer is calling on penalties for officials who shirk their responsibilities. 

In a concession to opponents, the county is dropping the idea of extending the waiting period from three to five days.

The ordinance got no traction when first proposed it in 2013. Lindley says Parkland changed that. 

“I think it increased peoples interest in taking whatever precautionary measures we can” says the Leon County Commissioner. 

If approved, the ordinance, is expected to draw lawsuits almost immediately.

Under a 1998 amendment to the state Constitution, counties can impose up to a five day wait for gun purchases and require background checks on gun sales at public places. State law preempting firearm regulation to the state does not supersede the constitutional language. 

Another local government body in the State Capitol, the Tallahassee City Commission, is slated to vote Wednesday on a resolution demanding the legislature repeal a law that prohibits local governments from enacting stronger gun regulations than the state. We asked City Commissioner Gil Ziffer about the use of the word demand.

“Using terms like we’d like it to happen, or it might happen. We really want to demand that it happens. Preemptions are something that we are very much opposed to and the preemption that the legislature imposed back in 2011 restricting us from anyway regulating guns is wrong, and we want to try and fix that” says Ziffer, who is retiring after his term ends in 2018.

Under the law commissioners want repealed, elected officials who vote for stronger gun laws face fines, removal from officer and having to pay their own legal fees.

Governor Rick Scott continued to promote the state’s job creation as he announced his candidacy for the U-S Senate today. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, early in his Gubernatorial career he dampened the prospects of living up to a campaign process to create 7 hundred thousand new jobs.

This was Rick Scott, at a debate, running for Governor in 2010.

“So our plan is seven steps to seven hundred thousand jobs and that plan is on top of what normal growth would be.”

The important phrase here…

“and that plan is on top of what normal growth would be.”

But 10 months into Scotts first term, Florida’s economy was still struggling. Unemployment was higher than the national average. Scott was asked if he could still create the jobs promised.

“The initial promise was to create 700,000 on top of…”

“No. Lets remember the facts. We have 900,000 people out of work, so I can’t do a lot more than that 700,000.” 

Democrats call it the ultimate flip flop.

Ion Sancho was one a several Democrats who spoke immediately after Scott announced his run for the US Senate.

“He promised seven hundred thousand new jobs on top of the existing jobs. That quite frankly, it never happened” says Sancho.

But fast forward seven years, and Scott seems to have met his initial goal. His official web site shows nearly a million and a half jobs created since Scott taking office.  Brian Burgess was Scott’s Communications director in 2011.

“He said he was gonna do it and then backed away from it.?”

“No, I don’t think he backed away from it. I reject the idea that he backed away from anything. He promised seven hundred thousand jobs. His plan was seven, seven, seven. It wasn’t seven, seven, and an asterisk” Burgess told us.

Ironically, the economy has boomed. Scott has lived up to his promise, and it may have been the only time since taking office he second guessed himself.

Original expectations were that Florida’s economy would have created as many a million jobs without the Jobs growth plan promoted by the Governor, so he is slightly behind the one point seven million jobs, but he has until December to finish the job.