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Legislation to stop the abuse of prescription drugs is forcing Governor Charlie Crist into a lose-lose situation. Signing the Pill Mill Bill could put people’s private medical history at risk, but as Whitney Ray tells us, not signing the legislation means people will continue to load up on prescription painkillers.

Beaches, theme parks, and sporting events attract people to Florida by the millions. But for some there’s a darker force drawing them to the Sunshine State. Drug dealers from as far away as Kentucky flock to Florida to load up on prescription painkillers. It’s a problem FDLE is working with the Federal Government to fix.

“The Drug Enforcement Administration is now attempting to set up drug taskforces to address the problem of the illegal dispensing of legal drugs,” said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey.

Legislation to stop doctor shopping and shut down pill mills by creating a prescription drug database is on the governor’s desk. 38 other states have similar tracking programs. Attorney General Bill McCollum is urging the Crist to sign the legislation.

“It is going to help us be able to help us stop a lot of this. Stop people from coming in from out of state, and let us find the few doctors who are abusing this,” said McCollum.

But if the bill becomes law people’s private medical history could be at risk. Thirteen state lawmakers, some of whom voted for the legislation, are now asking Crist for a veto, because a similar database in Virginia was hacked.”

The choice puts Crist between a rock and a hard place. Signing the legislation could jeopardize people’s privacy; not signing it allows drug dealers to keep shopping.

“I think we need to keep track of where these drugs are and that’s what I’m coming down to as it relates to this bill,” said Crist.

Crist says if he signs the bill, the state will protect people’s medical information. If the bill becomes law an electronic database will be set up by December of 2010 and pain clinics would register with the state and be subject to investigations.

Democrat Alex Sink has a slight edge over Republican Bill McCollum in the 2010 governor’s race according to a poll released Tuesday.

The Quinnipiac Poll gives Sink a 38 to 34 edge over the Attorney General, but gives McCollum a better job approval rating. The poll has a margin of error of 2.8 percent. Quinnipiac Pollster Peter Brown said Sink’s four point edge doesn’t mean much.

“McCollum is in good shape. His numbers are very good. He’s obviously run before statewide. He’s got pretty good name ID. It’s not universal like Governor Crist, but it’s pretty good. And Sinks name ID is just not as high. She’s not been around as long. This starts out as a fairly even race,” said Brown.

Both candidates have a huge lead within their parties, but among independent voters McCollum is leading by five points, 32 – 27.

Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and former gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Bronson is endorsing Attorney General Bill McCollum in the 2010 Governor’s race.

Bronson took his name off the list of possible Republican candidates just a few weeks ago. Bronson said McCollum has a good track record of leading the state.

“He has been a strong advocate for children and to protect the public and the consumers of this state from people who would do them harm and I believe using that and some other attribute toward business that Bill has, that he would be a great governor for the state of Florida,” said Bronson.

The primary election is still 15 months away, but Republican and Democratic Party leaders are already pitting McCollum against Chief Financial Officers Alex Sink.

All 11 of Florida’s public universities are seeking the maximum tuition hike allowed by the state.

College presidents have been battling with the state legislature for years over who has the authority to raise tuition. Just weeks ago the state legislature gave in to the schools and gave them the go ahead to raise tuition up to 15 percent a year. The schools haven’t wasted anytime seeking the maximum increase. University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft said students have to pick up the cost because the state continues to cut funding.

“The support to higher education throughout the United States has decreased significantly since the very beginning when they set up public schools and in order for us to maintain our institutions there is going to have to be higher share coming in from student fees and tuition,” said Genshaft.

The increases have to be approved by the University Systems’ Board of Governors. The board is made up of the school’s presidents.

The Florida Department of Corrections is balking at sending prisoners out of state to save money. Lawmakers approved the practice, beginning July first, but concerns over inmate rehabilitation and safety may halt the practice before it ever begins. As Whitney Ray tells us, For now the idea is being reserved for emergencies like a hurricane.

Florida has just 5,000 empty prison cells and expects to need 19,000 thousand more in coming years. In February the state’s largest business lobby called for the release of some nonviolent offenders to save construction costs and tax dollars.

“We were looking at about 100 million dollars per facility. There were three that were planned,” said Jose Gonzalez a spokesman with the Associated Industries of Florida.

Lawmakers decided not to spend money on new prisons, but they also didn’t release any prisoners. Instead, they approved shipping inmates out of state or paying private prisons to lighten the load.

The Corrections Corporation of American is the country’s largest private prison company, they also stand to make the most money off the deal. A spokesman for the company refused our request for an on camera interview.

The Florida Police Benevolent Association, which represents corrections officers, says private prisons aren’t reliable.

“They’re for profit. Their staff is not the most well trained. They cut corners in the programs that they say that they offer,” said Matt Puckett with the Florida Police Benevolent Association.

And DOC fears inmates wouldn’t be rehabilitated as well if they were sent out of Florida.

“Secretary McNeil has concerns about placing prisoners out of state. He believes removing inmates further from their communities and families undermines the goal of reducing recidivism,” said Jo Ellyn Rackleff, a spokeswoman with the Department of Corrections.

DOC says it will only move prisoners out of state as a last resort or if a major storm forces inmates to evacuate. By contracting with other states or private companies, Florida will pay housing and operations costs, but avoids spending money on construction.

Small businesses have joined forces to take on credit card companies over a little known “swipe fee.”

Businesses are charged extra when a customer pays with a credit card. The fees cost some businesses nearly as much money as they pay their entire staff. Jim Smith is a spokesman for the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association representing gas station across the state. Smith said when customers pay at the pump credit card companies end up with a bigger share of the profit than the station’s owner.

“They have to remain as competitive as possible. The average retailer is making about nine cents and it cost them 6 cents to take a credit card on a gallon of gas, so their profits are now cut by two-thirds,” said Smith.

Small Business owners are supporting a push in Congress to lower the “Swipe Fee,” and bring the charges into the light.

Beginning today, Unemployed Floridians have a new number to call to sign up for extended benefits through the end of the year. (888-896-0091). The hotline will handle up to ten thousand calls a day for as many as 250 thousand people seeking extended unemployment benefits. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, in Florida, helping the unemployed is a growth business.

John Sacco was out of work for three months before landing a job answering phones helping out of work people apply for benefits.

“I understand just how tough it is to find work in almost any area,” Sacco said.

The calls are non stop. Here in Florida helping the unemployed is a growth industry.

There are 84 people in this call center answering calls 11 hours a day, 6 days a week. In the last year, 500 people have been hired.

There are so many calls, 250 percent more than a year ago, that on Monday, a private contractor began answering the phone and questions about extended benefits.
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“We anticipate them to come online in full force in August, but they’ve opened about two months early to help with the immediate need,” Robby Cunningham with the Agency for Workforce Innovation said.

Wait times of a half hour or more were nonexistent. One caller was just days from losing any help at all.

“A lot of people do think they can get by on their savings but it’s important to get the process started because it can take a few weeks,” Sacco said.

And while getting through more quickly on the phone won’t get you a job any sooner, it will ease the frustration.

More than 500 thousand people are currently receiving unemployment benefits.

Two programs helping students pay for college are being watered down. Some Florida Prepaid College Plans and Bright Futures Scholarships won’t cover tuition increases. As Whitney Ray tells us, college students are hunting for jobs to cover the extra cost.

A 15 percent increase amounts to about 400 bucks starting in the Fall, but by 2014 Florida students could be paying 17,000 dollars more for a four year degree.

In the past a full Bright Futures Scholarship paid total tuition costs. Today, even the brightest students will have to cough up a little more to pay for school.

Lawmakers passed an eight percent tuition hike that Bright Futures won’t cover. They also gave each state school the authority to raise the cost an extra seven percent in the fall.

That means the cost of college could go up as much as 15 percent, and students would have to pay the difference.

“I feel like it’s false advertising to say to my generation, oh we’ll pay for your college, we’ll give you a great education, oh and by the way your tuition is going up and your Bright Futures is going away,” said FSU Junior Amanda Davison.

FSU Junior Amanda Davison chose to go to college in state because of the scholarship program. She’s getting a job to pay for the increase.

“I’m worried it’s going to affect my grades and my education,” said Davison.

Students with a Prepaid College Plan may have the same concerns. Plans bought before July 2007, cover the differential tuition increase. Jenn Meale bought a plan for her daughter Ivey just months before the cut off date.

“We feel very fortunate, our daughter was born in June 2006 and we signed her up for Florida Prepaid about 6 months after she was born,” said Meale.

People who bought plans after the cut off date will have to purchase separate coverage for the differential tuition increase.

Governor Charlie Crist’s fourth pick for the state supreme court was formally invested Friday.

Florida Supreme Court Justice James Perry becomes only the 4th African American to be named to the state’s highest court. Perry formerly served as a circuit judge in Seminole and Brevard Counties. Governor Charlie Crist’s picks have been followed closely by groups calling for more diversity on the bench.

“I am proud of the diversity that this appointment represents. It means a lot to me. I’ve actually been embroiled with some challenge from other circuits, but that’s ok. Uh, you know, If it wasn’t worth fighting for, we wouldn’t fight for it. And, uh, I am appreciative of the process, and I respect it,” said Crist.

Crist is the first governor in state history to appoint four justices to the state supreme court in his first term.

Florida has an estimated 280,000 homes in some level of foreclosure. The empty ones could fill up quick under a plan being discussed by emergency workers. As Whitney Ray tells us, foreclosed properties could be used to house people whose homes are destroyed by a hurricane.

Florida is second in the nation in foreclosures but the black eye could become a silver lining for families whose homes are destroyed by a hurricane. Emergency managers are discussing a plan to use the houses as evacuation shelters.

“When you look at a catastrophic event like this, you’re talking perhaps a million people will be displaced. We have to find a place for them,” said David Halstead, the Interim Deputy Director of the Division of Emergency Management.

The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes says the move would lighten the load on nonprofit groups who respond to storms.

“If we can get creative and find a way to take some people out of the system, keep them closer. I don’t think it gets any better than that,” said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, the President and CEO of FLASH.

The Florida Banker’s Association is sympathetic to the idea, but a spokesman for the company says there are legal and liability issues that make the plan a hard sale.

People living next to foreclosed properties also have concerns about moving evacuees into their neighborhoods. Governor Charlie Crist said more research needs to be done before he gets on board with the plan.

“The notion has some promise perhaps, but I think it needs to be vetted a little more,” Crist said.

In the mean time FEMA plans to use emergency shelters, apartments, and empty dorm rooms to house people left homeless by a hurricane. One concern about housing evacuees in foreclosed homes is the condition the home is in. Some of the houses haven’t been lived in for several years. Other houses have been destroyed by vandals or the previous owners.

Clean up crews are busy picking up the pieces after strong winds ripped the roof of a Tallahassee school.

Students are on summer break, but the school wasn’t empty at the time of the storm. Several teachers and staff were in the building. No one was injured. The National Weather Service say the damage was caused by strong winds, but has ruled out the possibility of a tornado.

If you own a home or business and disagree with the value assigned by the property appraiser, your chances of winning an appeal are about one in ten. Legislation signed today will increases your chance of winning in the future, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, it comes at a cost to local governments.

Property tax notices go out in August. Until now, the value put on your home or business has been presumed be correct by law. But with the stroke of his pen, Governor Charlie Crist changed the presumption of correctness and made it easier to challenge your assessment.

“This bill ensures that if the tax payer can provide more convincing evidence than the property appraiser can, that the home will receive a modified, hopefully reduced, assessment,” Crist said.

Statewide, more than a hundred thousand challenges were made last year. Half were of them made in Miami-Dade were successful, but in most other counties, the success rate was far, far less.

“The presumption of correctness issue which was addressed in this legislation, weights the situation very heavily in favor of the property appraiser,” tax attorney Ben Phipps said. “It makes it very difficult for the taxpayer to prevail.”

While the number of reductions being granted statewide varies from county to county, the statewide average of each is over 167 thousand dollars. And that suggests businesses, not homeowners, are reaping the benefits.

Property appraisers fought the change. They say it will hurt small counties and help big business.

“So its no-lose situation for the business to say, ok challenge it,” Leon property appraiser Bert Hartsfield said. “Whether it’s fair or not doesn’t come into the picture. It’s an issue of if I’m successful, I’ll make money at it.”

Because more successful challenges are expected, estimates suggest that local governments will lose more than a half a billion a year by 2013.

State lawmakers passed and the Governor has signed legislation restricting how much attorneys can make helping injured workers. Last year, the state Supreme Court threw out a limit on the fees. The legislation was a result of that ruling and today, the office of Insurance regulation rescinded a rate hike that was just put in place.

“The 6.4 increase has gone away,” Ed Domansky with the Office of Insurance Regulation said. “It effectively now is a 6.4 decrease. And in the grand scheme of things it’s restoring the total 18.6 decrease that became effective January 1.”

The old law was thrown out when the court found an attorney working over 200 hours on a case was receiving the equivalent of just 8 dollars an hour. The new law is also likely to be challenged.

After some State Farm customers could not find coverage cheaper than their current policy, even with a 47 percent rate hike the company wanted, State Senator Al Lawson helped pass legislation allowing big Insurance companies,  like State Farm, to offer coverage at any price. Lawson is encouraging Governor Charlie Crist to sign the bill once it get’s to his desk.

“A lady that was 93-years-old in Jackson County and said, ‘I don’t want to lose my State Farm Insurance,” Lawson said. “So as a result, you know, it’s something the governor needs to consider. We need more people out there to share the risk. We don’t know what’s going to happen during this hurricane season.

Without the bill becoming law, State Farm is expected to follow through with its plans to stop offering coverage to a million homeowners.

A grass roots movement to lift the state’s ban on offshore oil drilling is gaining momentum. The group Floridaoil.org is planning a petition drive to put the drilling question before voters in 2010. As Whitney Ray tells us, if the measure makes the ballot it could become the main issue in the US Senate and Gubernatorial races.

The battle over offshore oil drilling has a new face. FloridaOil.org has started a grass roots movement to lift the state’s ban on offshore oil drilling. Pace Allen, a spokesman for the group, said public interest is growing.

“These polls have revealed that citizens understand, or are beginning to understand that technology has improved and oil drilling can be done safely,” said Allen.

But environmentalists still aren’t convinced. They defeated an 11th hour legislative attempt to let the state cabinet lift the ban. Environmentalist Charles Pattison said drilling could ruin the state’s beaches.

“That’s a unique part of what Florida offers and we are potentially going to give that up,” Pattison said.

Drivers seem ready to dig into the issue. Recent polls show support for drilling at all time highs.

If last summer is any indicator the support for offshore oil drilling will go up if the gas prices do.

Governor Charlie Crist will be watching the polls in his bid for the US Senate. Crist dodged questions about whether or not he would support a drilling amendment.

“I’d have to read it before I decide if I support it,” said Crist.

And before anyone will get a chance to support the issue with their vote, Floridaoil.org will have to get the signatures of nearly 700,000 voters. Floridaoil.org has until February 1st of 2010 to gather the signatures needed to put the proposed drilling amendment on the November ballot.