According to a press release, the State Board of Education will be meeting next Tuesday at theMiami Lakes Educational Center in Miami. This will be the board's first meeting of 2014.

Attorney Joe Davidow placed last with less than 1.5 percent in an open Republican congressional primary in 2012, placing far behind Trey Radel. With Radel under fire for pleading guilty to cocaine possession, Davidow threw his support behind former state Rep. Paige Kreegel who is challenging the incumbent in Augusts primary. Kreegel placed third in the primary Radel won in 2012. When you have problems you go to the doctor, said Davidow who insisted Kreegel was a solid conservative. Its time for the voters of this district to go to Dr. Kreegel.

Gov. Rick Scott announced on Tuesday that his proposed budget would increase funding to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) by almost $31.9 million while another $8 million would go to sheriffs offices that handle child-protection issues.

With Gov. Rick Scott naming him Floridas next lieutenant governor, Carlos Lopez-Cantera received praise on Tuesday from some of the most prominent Republicans in the Sunshine State.

Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., called for more minority Republicans and veterans in Congress on Tuesday.

Rep. Dana Young, R-Tampa, currently serving as deputy majority leader and majority whip in the Florida House, was named to GOPACs 2014 Legislative Leaders Advisory Board on Tuesday. Each member of our 2014 Legislative Leaders Advisory Board has a distinguished record of success at promoting conservative ideas and assisting Republican candidates with getting elected, said Frank Donatelli, the chairman of GOPAC. Their involvement will strengthen our efforts as the Republican Party's premier center for educating and electing a new generation of Republican leaders."

At a media event in Miami on Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott named Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser Carlos Lopez-Cantera as the 19th lieutenant governor of Florida. The position had been vacant since March when Scott demanded then-Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carrolls resignation after news broke she was being investigated regarding directing money toward Internet cafes.

Tuesday morning, even before Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican Party of Florida had made the announcement selecting Carlos Lopez-Cantera as lieutenant governor, Charlie Crist's camp had released a no-response response. "Our campaign is focused on putting the people back in charge and protecting the middle class from four more years of Rick Scotts extreme partisanship, said Kevin Cate, a spokesperson for the Charlie Crist for Governor campaign.

President Barack Obama is scheduled later this week to speak on reforming the way the federal government collects information on citizens -- but former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico is not buying it. Johnson was the Libertarian Partys presidential candidate in 2012 and has left the door open to running again in 2016.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., pointed to reports showing only 21 percent of Floridians between 18-34 have signed up for President Barack Obamas health-care law.

Looks like John Morgan really wants to see medical marijuana get put on the ballot in November -- so badly, in fact, that the Orlando-based uber trial lawyer pumped$2.8 million into the ballot effort during the fall. Campaign finance records showed Morgan spent $2 million in December on a signature gathering firm, PCI Consultants Inc. The California-based firm is no stranger to collecting signatures -- according to its website, PCI has gathered more than 44 million signatures and qualified hundreds of state and local initiatives over the last 22 years.

Florida Rep. MaryLynn Magar, R-Hobe Sound, suffered what her office is decribing as a mild stroke last week. Magar left the hospital on Saturday and is expected to be in Tallahassee for the legislative session when it kicks off in March.

U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., wants his constituents to know he's not giving up on representing them in Congress. In an op-ed posted in theIsland Reporter, the Fort Myers congressman vowed he'd continue to serve the people of Florida, calling his recovery "under way and ongoing." Radel's op-ed reads:

Appearing at JaxPort on Monday, Gov. Rick Scott said the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is penciled in to receive $8.8 billion, including almost $139 million for ports improvements, under his proposed budget.

U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla, compared Targets handling of a major date breach to how the federal government was handling security and privacy in President Barack Obamas federal health-care law -- and found the government lacking.