Sarasota County Republican Chairman Joe Gruters announced his bid for state Republican Party chairman on Tuesday, with a goal of "building a permanent majority" for the GOP.

As we look toward January when our states newly elected governor and all-new Cabinet members take office, we have high hopes that these leaders will help move Florida out of the current economic conditions.

With Florida facing a $2.5 billion budget gap, rising Internet sales over the Thanksgiving holiday renewed calls Monday for the state to join others looking to make it easier to collect sales taxes from out-of-state and mail-order merchants.

Nineteen named storms swirled all over the Atlantic in 2010 -- 12 of them big enough to become hurricanes -- but none seriously threatened Florida. Nevertheless, homeowners needn't think their good fortune will translate into windstorm insurance savings.

In a bid to become the "tea party of the center," a group of moderate Republicans and Democrats has launched a "No Labels" movement.

President Barack Obama's order to freeze federal salaries drew yawns from Florida Republicans who urged the administration to get serious about its cost-cutting campaign.

WASHINGTON -- An eminent Harvard law professor, James Thayer (1831-1902), argued that although the judicial function is "merely that of fixing the outside border of reasonable legislative action," this still gives courts "a great and stately jurisdiction." While patrolling that jurisdiction today, Supreme Court justices may be playing the video game "Postal 2," whose rich menu of simulated mayhem provoked California's Legislature to pass a problematic law.

At least one prominent Florida Democrat is encouraging state CFO Alex Sink, who narrowly lost to Rick Scott in the gubernatorial election, to remain open to making another bid for office.