Amendment 2 getting mixed reactions

 Midterm elections are a week away and many issues in Florida are driving people to the polls - one of them is Amendment 2, which would allow military members to get discountson their property taxes.

Amendment 2 is what many call a chance to give active military members a tax break while serving overseas.

If this amendment were passed it would allow active military, military reserves, the National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard to cut down on property taxes based on the time they have served overseas.

Officials explained that the county tax appraiser would base a percentage of time spent overseas in a war zone and relay that to a property tax cut.

But there are many disagreements about this issue. Some people are arguing that everyone has to pay property taxes and it isn't fair that anyone should get a discount. Others believe that since they are risking their lifes for us and the country they should be thanked and this is one way to show them we are grateful.

Using tax data from 2009, the state's independent revenue estimating conferences says the breaks would add up to $13-million. If approved, Amendment 2 would go into effect on January 1, 2011.

Meanwhile the Florida Legislature needs to decide what is considered an active war zone, so military members would know if they qualify.

Appellate Court Comes To Central IL

The Illinois Appellate Court held a hearing in Central Illinois today. The appeals court came to Bradley University as part of its judicial education program. One of the cases the justices heard was the appeal of Stephen Chromik. The former Metamora High School teacher/coach is serving time for sexually abusing a student two years ago. Last year Chromik was cleared on charges of criminal sexual assault but convicted on aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The student's family is now suing the Metamora School Board and its superintendent for allowing Chromik to work for the district with knowledge of a previous sexual assault conviction in Tennessee.
Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Kilbride says the traveling appellate educational program gives the public and students a chance to see how the hearings work. He thinks this is important because the public doesn't understand how the court system works and this helps them comprehend the system better.

Schools Ban 'Boobies' Cancer Bracelet

A $4 rubber bracelet meant to raise breast cancer awareness has created a controversy because students nationwide are wearing the "I (heart) boobies" wristbands, and running afoul of school administrators.

Many schools throughout the U.S. including California have banned the bracelets because they believe the "boobies" language is inappropriate.

The Keep A Breast Foundation has sold 2 million of the bracelets so far, with the money going to breast cancer research and education programs.

The group believes the catchy slogan is a better way to teach kids about breast cancer than more traditional methods like pink ribbons.

School officials were making students wear the bracelets inside out because they consider the wording inappropiate.

The dispute drew the attention of the Wyoming chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued West had a free speech right to wear the bracelet. School officials finally agreed to allow a student to wear it except in the presence of two teachers — one a victim of breast cancer and another who lost a relative to the disease — who found the "boobies" reference objectionable.

Marketing manager Kimmy McAtee argued the bracelets is an easy way for teens to show their support for their cause, most aren't going to wear the pink bow or want to eat yogurt (another way to support this cause ).

State Lawmakers Draft Citizenship Laws Targeting Children of Illegal Immigrants

Lawmakers in at least 14 states anounced that they are working on legislation to deny U.S. citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants. Arizona Senator Russell Pearce said he and other lawmakers are working on a draft of their model legislation and have consulted constitutional scholars to change the 14th Amendment.
Since 2005 similar measures have been introduced in the congressional sessions, yet they have all been neglected.
It has been argued that the ammendment does not apply to the babies of illegal immigrants because such families don't owe sole allegiance to the U.S. Advocates for immigrants argue that the part of the amendment Pearce is contending clearly was meant for children of foreign diplomats who are born in the U.S.

Constitutional changes require approval by two-thirds majorities in both chambers of Congress, an impossibility now because Democrats have the majority in both houses and most oppose this measure. Even if Republicans do gain power in November and legislation is passed, an amendment would still need to be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Pennsylvania state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, the founder of a national group of legislators critical of illegal immigration, states that providing birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants is an "ongoing distortion and twisting" of the amendment.

The 14 states working on legislation are Arizona, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.

Pearce was the chief sponsor of a 2007 state law targeting employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Police: Fla. gunman kills self, 1 other, wounds 5

A gunman shot himself in his red pickup truck on Monday after he drove through the neighborhood picking off random victims at around 4 PM; he killed one person and wounded 5. Officers refused to release the name of the gunman, his victims or motive. A police spokeswoman says the wounded were being treated at Shands Hospital and had minor to criticial injuries, but she wouldn't give details.

Teen killed, Several Injured in Ga. School Bus Crash

Kenneth Ross Herringdine, 59, the driver a school bus in Georgia lost control along a rural northern highway Monday and the vehicle overturned, killing a 17-year-old student and sending several others students from Temple High School to the hospital. The bus was carrying 12 high school students, it was traveling south on Highway 113, some 50 miles west of Atlanta, around 2 p.m. when it left the roadway and crashed into a ditch.

Authorities said James Rashawn Walker of Temple was pronounced dead at the scene. Carroll County Coroner Sammy Eady said Walker was pinned underneath the bus when it stopped in the ditch. Carroll County Schools Superintendent Scott Coward said the driver was a trainee.

Six patients were sent to three different hospitals and were fortunately in fair condition.

Ricky Stilley / AP

An ambulance leaves the scene where a school bus overturned on Highway 113 between Temple and Carrollton, Ga., Monday.

Education Nation: Rough Graduation Numbers in Washoe County

There is a high drop-out rate in Nevada. The district began a recent campaign "Door-to-Door", they go from door  to door to evry student thats dropped out of high school to try and get them to go back to school. The teams contacted 222 students, resulting in more than 26 percent returning to school, whereas last year it was only 16%.According to Washoe County Superintendent Heath Morrison, the disconnect between students and schools happens long before high school. AFter second grade evryone starts to expect more form students which is when they began to struggle more.