Capitol News

There’s good news tonight for the state’s jobless. The President signed legislation to keep unemployment checks flowing to people at risk of running out or who have already exhausted their benefits. Whitney Ray tells us what eligible jobseekers need to know to make sure they’re ready to claim the extra cash.

Residents of the rural Florida Panhandle city of Chipley are breathing a sigh of relief tonight. A seven month-old girl, missing since Saturday, was found unharmed early this morning. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, both the mother and an aunt face multiple charges.

A House committee charged with determining former speaker Ray Sansom’s future in the state legislature will continue its investigation, despite protests from Sansom’s attorneys. As Whitney Ray tells us, the decision to move forward comes as Sansom’s criminal chargers are being contested.

Foreclosures are clogging the state court system, so The Florida Supreme Court is recommending mandatory mediation between lenders and borrowers who have defaulted on their loans. But, as Whitney Ray tells us, not everyone thinks mandatory mediation is the best solution.

Harassing phone calls and threatening messages from debt collectors has lead thousand of Floridians to ask for the state’s help, but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. As Whitney Ray reports, the state has ignored complaints because it’s been unclear about who has the authority to crack down on the abusive collectors.