Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, has appointed Sen. Charles Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, to the Boating Advisory Council. The release from the presidents office noted: Dean, 73, of Inverness is a cattleman and consultant. He was sheriff of Citrus County from 1981 to 1996 and currently serves as state senator for District 5, which consists of Baker, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Layfayette, Levy, Suwannee, Union and part of Marion counties.

In an interview today on the Andrea Tantaros Show, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., rebuked suggestions byretired four-star general and former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell that there exists "a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the [Republican] party."

When offered a chance to compete on "Dancing With the Stars," the former first lady of Massachusetts Monday said thanks-but-no-thanks. Ann Romney was approached, but she declined, a Romney spokesman said on Monday. She will not be appearing on Dancing with the Stars.

Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, has appointed Sens. Garret Richter, R-Naples, Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and Joseph Abruzzo, D-Wellington, to the Nominating Committee of the Florida Public Service Commission. The release from the presidents office:

Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, has reappointed Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, and named Lewis Bear Jr. to the Enterprise Florida Inc. board of directors. Detert, 68, owner of Primary Creative Solutions Inc., was first appointed to the board in 2009 by current Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater. Bear, 71, of Gulf Breeze, is president and chief executive officer of the Lewis Bear Co. Bears appointment is through Sept. 30, 2015.

The Sun Sentinel reports that three Florida counties rank among the top 12 turnarounds in the nation's housing market. Palm Beach County leads the nation, with home values rising 35 percent from where they were in December 2011, with Broward's and Miami-Dade's rising 21 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Mike Ertel says the state should reconsider its 100 feet limit on where candidates and supporters can stand outside polling locations when lines of voters occur outside precincts and early voting locations.

Gov. Rick Scott will continue his push to upgrade Floridas port system by directing $38 million in state money to improving the flow in the main channel to allow larger cargo ships to reach JaxPort, according to the Florida Times-Union.

Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, told members of his committee reviewing state elections laws and the county election supervisors appearing before the panel on Monday not to rehash the results of the 2012 election. Instead focus on what went right, what went wrong and to offer recommendations to improve the voting process.

The League of Women Voters of Florida, which was behind the redistricting changes that voters approved in 2010, has released recommendations for the 2013 legislative session as state lawmakers are undertaking their own reassessments of the 2012 election. "Early voting restrictions, an outdated voter registration system and a lengthy ballot all coalesced to create excessive lines, delays in the counting of ballots and a significant number of disenfranchised voters in 2012, League President Deirdre Macnab stated in a release.

President Obama's office issued an official response Friday evening to a petition signed by over 37,000 citizens requesting his administration to "peacefully grant [sic] the state of Florida to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government." The response, issued at 7:51 p.m. by Jon Carson, Obama'sdirector of the Office of Public Engagement, is as follows: "Thank you for using the White House's online petitions platform to participate in your government.

In a press release Friday, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi reminded eligible borrowers that the Jan. 18, 2013, deadline to file a claim for payment under the national settlement is fast approaching.

Possible future Florida politician Tim Tebow, the University of Florida standout who has languished on the sidelines with mega-dysfunctional New York Jets, may not have any options in the NFL.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, has penned a letter to President Barack Obama "strenuously urging" him to cease American foreign aid -- in particular, the shipment ofF-16 fighter jets -- to the country which is fast degenerating into an Islamist theocracy. Here is Buchanan's letter, dated Jan. 10: "Dear Mr. President:

So it appears former House speakers Dean Cannon, Larry Cretul and company wont be lobbying for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. But that doesnt mean their recently formed super-group Capitol Insight isnt going to be hurting for work in the coming session.