Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is urging Floridians to use caution when filing tax returns and to be aware of identity theft and tax-related scams. Any signs of tax fraud or identity theft, such as receiving a letter that your tax return has been filed when it has not, should be reported to my office by calling 1-866-9-NO-SCAM, said Bondi in a press release Thursday.

Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, and Rep. Mia L. Jones, D-Jacksonville, have filed companion bills to seeking to reverse a cost-saving 2011 law, Senate Bill 2012, that has resulted in juvenile offenders in select counties being moved into adult facilities.

The Florida House Civil Justice Subcommittee has passed HB 351, formally titled "Application of Foreign Law in Certain Cases" but more popularly referred to as an "Anti-Sharia Bill." The bill is modeled after legislation proposed by activist groups who claim Islamic law, which discriminates against women and non-Muslims, is stealthily encroaching upon the American judicial system.

Florida law currently bans the sale of wine in containers holding more than one 1 gallon, but a new bill introduced in the House and Senate byWilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and Rep. Frank Artiles, R- Miami, would increase that limit to 6 gallons.

The Florida Supreme Court has issued its unanimous ruling in the foreclosure fraud caseRoman Pino v. The Bank of New York Mellon. In an opinion authored by Justice Barbara Pariente, the court ruled that a trial court may not reinstate a voluntarily dismissed civil action, even if the defendant alleges that the plaintiff committed fraud on the court, unless that defendant suffered some kind of harm. Pino had alleged that New York Mellon Bank had filed fraudulent documents in its foreclosure suit against him in 2008.

In a morning press release, Florida Gov. Rick Scott cited highlights from his 2013-14 budget and other statistics to show he's scored a fiscal triumph so far in his administration. Here they are: -- Overall savings in budget: $1.2 billion. -- 3: Gov. Scott submitted Floridas three smallest budgets in the last decade (adjusted for inflation and population growth). -- Largest decline in size of state government workforce per 1,000 residents over last 14 years.

TheFlorida House Civil Justice Subcommittee has approved a foreclosure reform bill, HB 87, sponsored by Rep.Kathleen Passidimo, R-Naples. The bill aims to streamline and expedite the foreclosure process. Among other things, it reduces the statute of limitations for deficiency judgments from five years to one year, and requires the lender in a foreclosure action to provide certain documents proving ownership of the loan beforeforeclosureproceedings begin. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 10-3.

Gov. Rick Scott and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will flip the switch to officially open the Florida State Fair in Tampa on Thursday before the Cabinet meeting in Tampa. Expect photos to appear of Cabinet members to go down the giant slide -- Scott has avoided the ride in the past. Scotts scheduled, as released from the governor's office, for Thursday: 6:30 a.m.- 7 a.m. Gov. Rick Scott will Flip the Switch officially opening the Florida State Fair (Family Friendly Midway).

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, who will co-host the Florida congressional delegations review of the Florida ports on Feb. 14, is calling for unity from the 27 members of the delegation on improving the seaports. Expanding our exports and in turn creating new jobs is an issue where Republicans and Democrats can work together and find common ground, Buchanan stated in a release.

Gov. Rick Scott will help Visit Florida unveil a new ad campaign Thursday for the spring that features partnerships with Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. The campaign will be announced during the Governors Luncheon at the Florida State Fair, Charles M. Davis Special Events Center, in Tampa.

Bills that would give the state Commission on Ethics more power to collect fines, prohibit legislators from voting on proposals that benefit them or lobbying any state agency for two years after leaving office, cleared two Senate committees on Wednesday.

The co-chairmen of the Florida congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, and U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, will host a delegation meeting Feb. 14 on the future of Floridas ports. Port directors from throughout Florida have been invited to the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C., to address jobs, port security and other challenges at the states seaports.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., has released a letter slamming President Barack Obama for his policy of authorizing theassassinationof American citizens, without constitutional due process, on the basis of his administration's suspecting them of terrorism. The full letter follows: 'Dear Mr. President,

The Daily Caller reports U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's gracious response to BuzzFeed's caricature of him following a wide-ranging, 40-minute interview Florida's conservative junior senator gave to the liberal news outfit.

The Florida Senate Committee on Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security has unanimously approved two bills: one which effectively bans the staging of protests and funerals, and another which grants in-state tuition benefits to nonresident military veterans stationed in Florida. Check out our previous coverage of SB 92 ("Funerals, Burials, and Memorial Services"), which now must go through the Criminal Justice committee.