High school student gets to lobby his own bill

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 13, 2008

TAMPA 

A sophomore at Chamberlain High School will get to lobby in Tallahassee for a bill he drafted himself, after it was chosen the winner of state Rep. Kevin Ambler's annual "Ought to Be a Law" contest.

Ambler, along with two other Hillsborough Republicans, Rep. Victor Crist and state Sen. Ed Homan, chose Thomas "T.J." Mouse's proposal to make driver's education mandatory for high school students.

Ambler and Crist will introduce the bill in the 2008 legislative session, and Mouse, along with runnersup, will help support it. Ambler's contest, which he has run since 2004, drew 15 students this year. Ambler passed over proposals to fund school nurses, to provide all students with a free lunch, and to offer the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in Spanish and Haitian Creole, among others.

LECANTO

Escaped inmate still at large

Authorities searched Saturday for an inmate who escaped from a detention facility in Citrus County.

James Coursey, 49, fled the Citrus County Detention Facility on foot Friday afternoon, sheriff's officials said. After the escape, schools in the Lecanto area were locked down and deputies stopped cars on roads to search for Coursey, with no success, officials said.

Deputies continued their search Saturday for Coursey, who was arrested in February on a warrant for grand theft. While jailed, Coursey was charged with unarmed burglary of unoccupied structures.

Coursey is about 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds, with curly light brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue jail inmate uniform. The public was warned not to confront Coursey if he is spotted, and to call police immediately.

Coursey was in the trusty program. Inmates must meet certain qualifications to become trusties, facility spokeswoman Julia Swart said.

[Last modified January 12, 2008, 23:57:11]