TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Chamber of Commerce on Thursday joined opposition to a Nov. 5 ballot proposal to require reduced class sizes in public schools.

The chamber's board of directors unanimously opposed the ballot initiative, which would cost from $8-billion to $27.5-billion.

"Rarely have we seen an amendment on the ballot that's as detrimental as this one," said Paul Ledford, senior vice president of the chamber. "It doesn't make sense. It's too risky. It's not a panacea solution, and it's not proven to work anywhere."

The chamber is joining forces with the Coalition to Protect Florida, a political action committee campaigning against the amendment. Other opponents include the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and the Florida School Boards Association.

Gov. Jeb Bush, who also opposes the amendment, is lending a high-level aide to the opposition. Brett Doster, deputy director of the state Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, is taking a two-month unpaid leave.

Doster will work at Core Message, a Tallahassee consulting firm owned by Cory Tilley, Bush's former communications director who is coordinating opposition to the amendment, which polls show has overwhelming public support.

State employee shoots two co-workers, kills self

JACKSONVILLE -- An employee entered a state office Thursday, shot and wounded two co-workers and killed himself, authorities said.

The shooting occurred before 9 a.m. in the office of the Radiation Control Division, part of the state Department of Health. Police Sgt. Dennis McGuire said the gunman, Wayne Horowitz, 53, of Orange Park, died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after shooting the co-workers with a handgun.

Philip Thoma, 43, and Don Steiner, 50, both of Jacksonville, were admitted to Shands Jacksonville hospital in critical condition. One went into surgery for wounds to his chest and arm, McGuire said. He said the other had gunshot wounds to the chest and buttocks.

The office, on the second floor of the four-story Riverside Building, regulates X-ray equipment in northeast Florida.

Horowitz entered the office and told Steiner he wanted to speak with Thoma. He had a seat in Thoma's office, then shot him multiple times, said Frank Mackesy, director of operations with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

As Horowitz was leaving Thoma's office he ran into Steiner again and shot him before turning the gun on himself, Mackesy said.

Newspaper seeks record of hearing on Noelle Bush

ORLANDO -- The Orlando Sentinel wants a judge to release transcripts of a closed court hearing on whether drug treatment center workers must cooperate in an investigation of Gov. Jeb Bush's daughter's reportedly being caught with crack cocaine.

Police received an anonymous telephone tip from a patient Sept. 9 that Noelle Bush, also a patient, had the drug in her shoe, but workers at the Center for Drug-Free Living refused to cooperate, citing privacy concerns.

The motion filed Wednesday with Orange Chief Circuit Judge Belvin Perry Jr. said the public has the right to know what was said in Perry's chambers.

In closing the Sept. 18 hearing, Perry cited public health laws that protect people in drug and alcohol treatment programs.

The Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office and Orlando police want to know what workers observed. Police said a 0.2-gram rock of crack was found in Bush's shoe, but she was not arrested because officers could not get sworn statements from staffers.

Court rejects appeals from two death row inmates

TALLAHASSEE -- The state Supreme Court rejected appeals from two death row inmates.

One appeal was by Charles W. Finney, 48, on death row for the 1991 murder of Sandra Sutherland, who was stabbed to death in her Tampa apartment.

The other was by Paul Beasley Johnson, condemned for three murders committed in Polk County 22 years ago. Johnson, 53, was sentenced to death for the murders of taxi driver William Evans, Darrel R. Beasley and Deputy Sheriff Theron A. Burnham.

Back to State news

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

Special Links

Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk