Florida Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, played up her crime fighting credentials with the endorsement of the Florida Police Benevolent Association and a new TV ad. As a mother, my greatest priority is protecting our states children, said Benacquisto on Tuesday. Working with Floridas law enforcement officers and childrens advocates, I am proud to say we have passed some of the toughest child predator laws in the nation and I am honored to have the PBAs endorsement.

Tropical Storm Arthur is expected to have little impact on Florida as it moves up to the Carolinas in the days to come. There is a tropical storm watch in effect on the Atlantic coast between Volusia and St. Lucie counties with winds up to 50 mph and heavy rains expected in the area.

Tallahassee-based research group and government watchdog Florida TaxWatch has produced The Florida TaxWatch Taxpayer's Pocket Guide to Florida's FY2014-15 State Budget -- help to quickly get spending highlights in each budget area. It also provides a look back at Florida's fiscal growth.

Gov. Rick Scott has been focusing on veterans issues this week. On Tuesday, the Scott campaign unveiled a Web ad featuring Sgt. Luke Murphy, an Iraq veteran who received the Purple Heart after losing his leg due to a bomb, praising the governors record on leadership and veterans issues. Murphy throws a slight jab at former Gov. Charlie Crist, the favorite for the Democratic nomination to challenge Scott, in the ad. What we had before Rick Scott was not leadership, Murphy says.

From his perch on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., called the murder of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel an outrage and demanded the end of federal funding to the Hamas-backed Palestinian Authority.

Former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced on Tuesday that he was endorsing Gov. Rick Scott for a second term. After a bitter primary in 2010 in which Scott won, McCollum refused to endorse his rival.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., the vice chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, expressed some hope that businessman Robert McDonald can help reform the VA department. McDonald was nominated to replace Eric Shinseki as secretary of VA on Monday.

U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., spoke out on the Supreme Court's decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby on Monday. I am deeply troubled by todays Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case. Once again, womens reproductive rights are under attack," said Hastings." The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision ruledMonday that certain family-owned companies cannot be forced to offer insurance coverage for contraception under the Affordable Care Act.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, praised the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Monday finding that Hobby Lobby does not have to comply with providing birth control under President Barack Obamas federal health-care law. Rubio hailed the decision as a victory for religious freedom.

Former Gov. Bob Martinez went to bat for fellow Republican Gov. Rick Scott on Monday, calling on former Gov. Charlie Crist to release his wifes tax returns.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., praised the Supreme Court on Monday for deciding that Hobby Lobby and other closely held businesses do not have to comply with President Barack Obamas health-care laws contraception mandate.

The Florida Medical Association PAC (FMA PAC) announced on Monday it was backing Gov. Rick Scott and the three Republicans serving in the Florida Cabinet -- Attorney General Pam Bondi, state CFO Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam -- for second terms.

While most eyes were focused on the Hobby Lobby decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, pointed toward the NLRB v. Canning decision. DeSantis insisted this decision found President Barack Obama violated the Constitution with recess appointments.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam cheered the Hobby Lobby decision on Monday. Putnam, who served in the Republican leadership when he was in Congress, praised the Supreme Court for ruling that business owners can object for religious reasons to being forced to cover birth control due to President Barack Obamas federal health-care law. A big win for the faith community and religious liberty, Putnam insisted on Twitter.