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Reports of gas price gouging continue to come in from across the state. More than 2-thousand complaints have been processed by workers at the state’s two hotlines. Sixteen gas companies were subpoenaed by the state for info about why their prices shot up over the weekend. Attorney General Bill McCollum doesn’t think all of the companies are guilty of gas price gouging.

“There are quiet a few people who are getting subpoenas that will turn out to have invoices like McKenzie did here locally that will show the fact they had prices they’re simply passing on and that’s not price gouging, but I also suspect we’re going to find that some people when out and raised the prices too soon or raised them higher than they should have,” said McCollum

The companies have seven days to comply with the subpoenas.

In November Floridians will have a chance to vote for a tax break for landowners who agree not to develop their property. About 70 environmental groups are backing Amendment 4. Famed Wildlife Expert Jim Fowler was on hand to show his support for the measure which is meant to control growth, sustain agriculture and protect the natural landscape. Eric Draper, Policy Director for Audubon Florida, said people who don’t want to develop their land are going to great lengths just to receive a tax break.

“This would result in a tremendous private effort over millions of acres of land where people wouldn’t feel like they’d have to go out and plant pine trees or park some cows on a piece of land in order to qualify for a lower tax status,” said Draper.

Amendment 4 needs approval from 60 percent of voters to pass.

A state investigation confirmed reports that regulators were asleep at the wheel as hundreds of ex-felons wrote home loans in Florida. In July, a newspaper investigation found 10-thousand ex-cons were working as mortgage brokers from 2000 to 2008. Shortly after the report the head of the Department of Financial Regulation stepped down. The state is still searching for his replacement. Attorney General Bill McCollum said the state should take its time to find a leader for the agency.

“I have confidence however in the agency personnel. That report was critical or mainly a passivity of the office not of anyone doing wrong in the office, just that they weren’t aggressive and proactive and I think all of us want to find somebody in leadership to take on this job and be more proactive in overseeing and regulating this industry,” said McCollum.

Whoever takes the job will have a lot on their plate. Florida has the highest mortgage fraud rate in the nation.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is attacking what they call the state’s lackluster efforts to produce renewable energy. The Public Service Commission is still working on the plan… which according to the Governor’s 2007 mandate is suppose to meet 20 percent of the state’s energy needs with wind and solar power. The Alliance says the PSC’s early draft doesn’t go nearly far enough to wean the state off fossil fuels. Alliance Executive Director Stephen Smith said Florida’s plan is the worst in the nation.

“First the goals are so weak and anemic that it makes it the worst renewable portfolio or renewable energy standard in the United States. It is the weakest most anemic of anything that’s been proposed. Two, the timeline is so long that Charlie Crist will be over 90 years old by the time that his goal is met with his proposal, with this draft rule,” said Smith.

The Alliance will release television ads this weekend to encouraging Governor Charlie Crist to keep pushing his plan.

The state has 460 (m) million dollars invested in the bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers. State cabinet members say the investment is just small potatoes compared to the (b) billions Florida has in other stocks. As Whitney Ray tells us, state economic experts expect a minimal impact from the Wall Street slump.

The State has invested millions in the now bankrupt Lehman Brothers bank. The $460 million dollar debacle was the hot topic when the state cabinet was called to order. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink told the governor the Lehman investment is just one egg in the state’s $140 billion dollar investment basket.

“Be sure you don’t have all of your eggs exposed in one basket,” said Sink.

The State Board of Administration says its eggs are also in many different baskets. State and local retirement funds have $323 (m) million in Lehman’s, less than half a percent of its overall portfolio.

“While there is certainly liability and there is potential for losses the severity of those losses because of the huge diversity of investment portfolios of the SBA are not something people need to be concerned about,” said SBA Director General Bob Milligan

The most noticeable impact the Wall Street woes will have on Florida could show up in the state treasury.

Last year the state treasury earned more than a (b) billion dollars on its investments. The Lehman Brothers fall could have a negative impact on this year’s returns.”

And anything the state loses in the market is money that will have to be cut from an already starving budget. Lehman Brothers seemed like a good investment for the state. Lehman is the 4th largest investment bank in the nation and has been in business for 158 years.

The Florida Attorney General and the Agriculture Commissioner are giving oil companies seven days to comply with their subpoenas. The AG’s office is requesting information from four gas companies. The Commissioner of Agriculture subpoenaed 16 companies. More than 2,000 complaints of gas price gouging have been reported to the state’s two hotlines. Governor Charlie Crist is outraged at the stories he’s hearing about gas price gouging.

“We are in a situation where people’s lives are at risk in Texas because of Hurricane Ike and some people are so damn greedy that they want to take financial advantage of that. It’s outrageous, especially after you see what’s going on on Wall Street. Enough is enough and we’re not going to take it anymore,” Crist said.

If it’s determined that some stations raised prices illegally, they would face a 25,000 dollar fine for every day they ripped off their customers.

Governor Charlie Crist isn’t giving up on the failed gambling compact he signed with the Seminole Tribe last November. Lawmakers took the governor to task for signing the compact without their approval. The agreement allowed the tribe to play blackjack and put Vegas-style slot machines in their casinos. The State Supreme Court ruled the compact illegal in July. Governor Crist said he’ll work on a new compact with lawmakers.

“The essence of what the court has said is legislative approval is an important component here. What we want to do is have an opportunity to talk with our legislative partners and see what their appetite is going forward,” Crist said.

Despite the court’s ruling, the Vegas-style games continue to be played in some casinos. The State’s Attorney General says he’ll do what he can to stop the games from being played.

Florida’s Department of Children and Families got a five million dollar bonus check from the Federal Government today. The Cash bonus is for improving performance in the food stamp program. DCF had fewer food stamp foul-ups in 2007 than they did in previous years. Now the department is well above the national average for its success in getting the right number of stamps to the right people. Interim DCF Secretary George Sheldon says he’s proud his department can help so many people.

“The need is very great and the reality is that we are now serving just shy of 1.6 million individuals who are getting nutrition and they’re not having to worry about where it is coming from. That’s the kind of thing in an economic downturn that I think is very important,” Sheldon said.

Florida now ranks 13th among states for its food stamp accuracy. The state with the most accurate food stamp program is South Dakota.

A total of more than 2,000 complaints of gas price gouging have been reported to the Attorney General’s office and the Commissioner of Agriculture. As Whitney Ray tells us, investigators will look at the complaints to determine if prices went up because of Hurricane Ike or if gas companies were breaking the law.

To report gas price gouging you can call one of two state hotlines. The Department of Agriculture’s consumer hotline number is 1800-HELP-FLA and the Attorney General’s price gouging line is 1800-9NO-SCAM.

The phones at two state hotlines are ringing off the hook. Right now there are more questions than answers as investigators try to figure out why some gas stations raised their prices by almost two bucks. Jack Hagadarn is gathering vital information for investigators. Jack said the price has gotten so high in some parts of the state, people can’t afford to drive.

“The ones I’ve had today tend to be the ones on fixed or limited incomes. Some retirees who are trying to survive and get around and are having trouble getting the gas,” said Jack.

In some areas people couldn’t get gas because stations sold it all. Over the weekend the price of a gallon of gas one Tallahassee station was $5.50 a gallon and they still sold out.

Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson says stations sold out because people panicked, not because of a supply shortage. Bronson released a public service ad to calm fears. Bronson’s office has subpoenaed information from 16 gas companies in the state.

“We’re going to find out who jacked the price of fuel up or whether it was price gouging or not,” said Bronson.

If it’s determined prices where raised illegally companies could faces a 25,000 dollar fine for every day they ripped off their customers.

The Florida Lottery is doubling the prize money on one of its most popular games to try and increase sales. The Fantasy 5 E-Z Match game now pays top winners 1,000 bucks instead of 500. Lotto workers hope the increase will help boast sales. In July, sales fell by more than 20 (m) million dollars. Florida Lottery Spokeswoman Jackie Barreiros said the lotto is constantly reinventing itself.

“The Florida Lottery is 20 years old. We recognize that we’re a mature lottery and with that comes some challenges just because of the regular business cycle of any company or organization. We have a product to sale and the best way to continue to raise revenue is to continue to offer a fresh product mix and continue to provide new and exciting things for our players,” said Barreiros.

Over the past 20 years the Florida Lottery has paid more than 19 (b) billion dollars into the state’s Education Enhancement Trust Fund. This year was a little different, last week lawmakers had to pull money from reserves to fill the void in school funding left by declining lotto sales.

The State Energy Office says Hurricane Ike hasn’t affected gas supply in Florida, but that hasn’t stopped some stations from charging $5.50 a gallon. As Whitney Ray tells us, investigators are watching gas station owners like a hawk.

Hear it Here: Gas Prices Soar Above $5.49 a Gallon, AG’s Office Investigates Price Gouging Claims

Some gas stations around the state have jacked up prices on the fear that Hurricane Ike will disrupt supply. Gas prices at a Tallahassee station on Monroe Street is normally some of the cheapest in the state, now the price is five and a half bucks. We broke the news to people who didn’t see the sign before they pulled up to the pump.

“No I though it was $3.50, oh lord, oh lord, let me get back in my car,” said Kizzie McPhaul.

“You’re about to pump a lot of gas you might want to hit cancel. Yeah that’s what I’m doing right now… wow… I appreciate it fellas,” said BJ Lizotte as he cancelled his order.

The Attorney Generals office sent an investigator to check out the price hike… He wouldn’t talk, but a spokeswoman says more than 20 complaints of gas price gouging have been reported by two o’clock Friday afternoon.

“We have been receiving complaints by the hour and if we see something that doesn’t look right we want to make sure we get the information as soon as possible,” said Sandi Copes.

If gas station owners are found guilty of price gouging, they’d face fines as high as a thousand dollars per sale. To report suspicious spikes in gas prices you can call the Attorney General’s price gouging hotline at 1-866-966-7226.

Florida’s Attorney General says blackjack and Vegas style slot machine games need to stop. A compact Governor Charlie Crist signed with the Seminole Tribe was ruled illegal by the Florida Supreme Court in July. Governor Crist asked the court for a rehearing. The hearing was denied. Despite the courts ruling, the games are still being played in some Seminole casinos. Attorney General Spokeswoman Sandi Copes said state investigators are working with the US Attorney’s office to see what can be done.

“It’s an interesting situation. The state of Florida may not have standing but we’re looking at that right now. We’re working with the US Attorney down in the Southern District of Florida because it’s possible the US Attorney may have primary jurisdiction on this matter. We’ve offered him assistance if he needs our help in looking into this particular matter. But again we’re not precluded at this point. We don’t believe we’ve run out of options. We’re still looking at it to see if there’s anything we could possible do,” said Copes.

The Seminole Tribe could keep the games with approval from the state legislature.

This year, 37,000 fewer students are attending Florida public schools. This marks the 3rd consecutive year enrollment numbers have fallen. As Whitney Ray tells us, parents are moving their kids out of the state because of Florida’s failing economy.

Hear it Here: Student Enrollment Continues to Fall

Florida public school students have fewer classmates than they had a year ago. 37,000 kids left the public school system or moved out of state. A slow down in the construction industry could be partially to blame for the decline. Of all the jobs lost in Florida last year, half were construction related.

Florida School Boards Director Wayne Blanton said those construction workers are leaving Florida to find jobs.

“A lot of people are moving to Charlotte, Atlanta, and other places where there are construction jobs. The economy being down is forcing young couples out of Florida,” said Blanton.

Elizabeth Shealy has three kids in Florida public schools. She says the costs of milk, gas and school supplies is making it tougher than ever to get by. To make matters worse, she’s had a hard time finding a job.

“I tried for almost two years looking for one and it’s just not out there. They’re not hiring,” said Shealy.

Governor Charlie Crist wouldn’t acknowledge an exodus of young families to other states. He simply said Florida is getting even grayer.

“Enrollments have been going down the past few years, I think it’s more of a result of the fact that seniors continue to move to Florida. I love them. There’s a lot of gray hair out here and I’m one of them,” Crist said.

School funding is based on enrollment. With such a drastic drop in students, budgets will be cut and teachers laid off. One positive note, fewer students will make it easier on schools to meet class size requirements.

The enrollment decline is based on a preliminary study looking at student attendance during the first 10 days of the school year. A more thorough study will be released in October. Overall, 53 counties had a drop in enrollment. Walton County saw the biggest drop losing eight percent of its students. St. John’s County school district actually grew by 1,200 students.

Governor Charlie Crist gathered with firefighters, police officers and National Guardsmen to remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks. At the time of the attacks Crist was Florida’s Commissioner of Education. He was at a cabinet meeting with former Governor Jeb Bush. Crist says he and Bush rushed to the state’s Emergency Operations Center to prepare for the worst. Crist said while it’s a sad event to remember, Americans have persevered.

“Our country continues to be stronger every day. Whenever we face these difficulties and challenges Americans pick back up in a hurry. That is our resolved and that is our strength and it comes from God. God bless you and God bless America,” Crist said.

Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks including 55 military personal and more than 400 first responders.

Governor Charlie Crist said he won’t call for a special election to solve the Palm Beach County voting fiasco. A recount in a county judicial race turned up 3,500 fewer votes than the original tally. Some think the votes may have been accidentally thrown away. One candidate asked the governor for a special election. Crist said he considered it but thinks a judge should make the final decision.

“I reviewed it with out General Council. My opinion is that the people of Palm Beach County did their duty. They voted. They showed up. So I want to respect the vote that they took. I understand there will be a difference of opinion between the two candidates. It seems to me a “tryer of fact” will be best to find out what the facts are and that would be a judge,” said Crist.

The losing candidate in the race is suing the Florida Elections Canvassing Commission, the Secretary of State, and the Division of Elections.