Florida had an estimated 21.9 million visitors in the third quarter of 2012, a 3.5 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, according to Visit Florida, the states tourism arm. Of the visitors, Florida recorded a 5.5 percent increase in overseas visitors and 4 percent growth of Canadian travelers. The increase, according to numbers in a release from the governors office, translates into 15,000 additional travel-related jobs in Florida, a 1.5 percent increase from the third quarter of 2011.

In what some might call a kind of vindication of Florida Republican educational policy, Tampa Bay Times reports on a new study, published by a nonpartisan education-reformist think tank, which ranks the Sunshine State highest in the nation in terms of state teacher policy: "The National Center on Teacher Quality released its latest briefs on state teacher policies Wednesday, with Florida leading the way overall and near the top in every category.

House Democratic Leader-designate Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, released the following statement on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Florida.

With Florida expected to miss the initial deadline to set up its own health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, one of the states business leaders will focus on how the state should respond to the federal health care plan. The Florida Chamber of Commerce says how the Sunshine State responds to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will be center stage during the 6th annual Insurance Summit Nov. 28-30 at Disneys Boardwalk Resort in Lake Buena Vista.

Sunshine State News has just learned that, contrary to earlier reports, a Floridarestaurateur will not be implementing a 5 percent "Obamacare surcharge" at his 45 restaurants ... at least, not quite yet.

State Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, may have been defeated in one of the years most contentious Senate contests and may enter the lobbying world but first tells the Sun-Sentinel she intends to ramp up her consulting business and mediation practice.

It begins. "Get ready to pay more for your Grand Slam. "A Florida restaurateur who operates roughly 40 Dennys locations and five Hurricane Grill & Wings franchises throughout the state intends to add a 5 percent surcharge to customers bills to offset costs from Obamacare beginning in January 2014 when the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented.

Floridas 11th Judicial Circuit Court Judge William L. Thomas has been nominated by President Obama to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Thomas, who began his legal career as an assistant state public defender in Miami-Dade County, was as an assistant federal public defender in South Florida from 1997 to 2005. Judge Thomas is a man of great integrity, who would bring tremendous knowledge and skill to the Florida Southern District Courts bench, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson stated in a release.

Gov. Rick Scott released the following statement on the passing of his mother, Esther Scott, 84, who died Tuesday. My mom, Esther, was one of the only constants in my life. We moved many times and my parents struggled financially, but mom always made sure we went to school and we went to church. Those were not optional.

Florida TaxWatch presidentand CEO Dominic M. Calabro released the following statement in response to a proposal by incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, to have new state employees enrolled in 401k-style retirement plans instead of the state pension system. Florida TaxWatch was extremely pleased this afternoon to hear Speaker-Designate Will Weatherford address the issue of state employee retirement plans.

The Associated Press reports the tragic story of one voter who had more on his mind than whether the federal government would legitimize his sexual relationships: "A Key West resident who police say was distraught over the presidential election results and worried about his business has apparently killed himself. "Police say they found Henry Hamilton's body in his bedroom Nov. 8, along with a living will with handwritten words 'Do not revive! (expletive) Obama!' Two empty prescription pill bottles were in the dining room.

A citizens' petition begging the White House to allow Florida to secede peacefully from the United States has reached the required threshold which should trigger an official response from the Obama administration. The Daily Caller reports: "Less than a week after a New Orleans suburbanite petitioned the White House to allow Louisiana to secede from the United States, petitions from seven states have collected enough signatures to trigger a promised review from the Obama administration.

Hundreds of uncounted ballots have been discovered in yet another Democrat-dominated Florida county. About 1,000 of them, in Broward, according to theSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Seven days after the election ended, and two days after the results were unofficially certified, Broward elections workers Monday said they had found 963 unaccounted-for ballots in a warehouse.

Florida Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, will join former governor Charlie Crist and a couple of other Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday to announce election reform legislation for the 2013 session.

U.S. Rep. Allen West may be fighting for his political life on the Treasure Coast, but a Georgia Republican says he can revive his career in the Empire State of the South.