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Capital Report: 03-23-2017

The abuse of both prescription and illegal Opioids are driving a national spike in overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control, these substances were involved in more than 33-thousand deaths across the country in 2015. Florida has seen a dramatic increase in opioid-driven overdoses, up more than 20 percent.  Now as Lynn Hatter reports, state lawmakers are grappling with how to stop the tragedy.

While the U.S. House of Representatives was voting down the Republican replacement for Obamacare today, the Florida Legislature had health care reform on its mind, too.

Florida is asking for extraordinary power to revamp its Medicaid program. It’s prompting alarms from health advocacy organizations and policy analysts because it could cut off access to health care for millions of Floridians.  Sarah Mueller reports they worry the process will exclude critical stakeholders.

Several NRA-backed bills are now headed to the floor of the Florida House. As Sascha Cordner reports, they include a bill making changes to Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and another allowing guns on private school property.

A bill to ban red-light cameras passed the Florida House Thursday. Regan McCarthy has more.....

Lawmakers seem to agree Florida’s coastline is vital part of the state’s economy.  But Nick Evans reports one Senate panel highlights the lack of agreement on how to protect it.

The Florida Senate has approved a bill to tear down the wall between grocery stores and liquor stores. But the plan has independent retailers worried big box stores will flood the market. Kate Payne reports.

We started off this evening’s program with a look at the very serious issue of drug abuse by people.  But the Florida Legislature is also considering the matter of performance enhancing drugs used by racing greyhounds.  We get that story from Ronald J. Ebben.