Beginning in 2014, those who do not carry health insurance must make a shared responsibility payment to the federal government. By 2016, this annual payment, which the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act explicitly calls a penalty, would be 2.5 percent of an individuals household income, but no less than $695 and no more than the average yearly premium for insurance that covers 60 percent of the cost of 10 specified services (e.g., prescription drugs and hospitalization).

A positive from the heavy rains that poured across Florida from this weeks lingering visit of Tropical Storm Debby is that the threat of wildfires has diminished. Still, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam cautions people to be responsible while celebrating the Independence Day holiday. Every year, Americans celebrate the independence of our nation and the sacrifices of those who fight to keep us free, Putnam stated in a release. Fireworks are an integral and historical part of those celebrations; however, fire safety is everyones responsibility.

Craig J. Nichols, a human resources business executive with three decades of experience, was named Friday to be the next secretary of the Department of Management Services -- the state's human resources department -- by Gov. Rick Scott. Nichols replaces Jack Miles who resigned from the $140,000-a-year post at the end of March. Miles, appointed by Scott in January 2011, has said he promised Scott he would serve for the governors first two legislative sessions.

The Florida Board of Governors Tuition Appeals Committee has unanimously rejected Florida Gulf Coast Universitys request to reconsiderreceiving only a 12 percent tuition hike. The Fort Myers-based state university had asked for a 14 percent increase.

In a day dominated by partisanship, it should be no surprise that the divide continued between the lines -- the foul lines -- last night for members of Congress. Florida Congressmen Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, and Daniel Webster, R-Orlando, all suited up for the GOP in the annual CQ-Roll Call congressional baseball game, held at Nationals Park.

After the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday to uphold most of the federal health-care law, presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney called upon GOP leaders in battleground states to speak out against the decision and say their candidate would fight to repeal the law. The Romney team turned to state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in Florida. Putnam was an early Romney supporter and, along with U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., leads the candidates agriculture advisory team.

Former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon, who is now running for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, weighed in on the Supreme Courts upholding of most of the federal health-care law on Thursday. Weldon, a medical doctor, ripped into the decision and called for the repeal of the health-care law.

Gov. Rick Scott will soon be sending questions to state elections officials after several former felons seeking to have their civil rights restored admitted Thursday they had registered to vote and cast ballots in recent elections. There must be a breakdown between the information that is provided to the supervisors of elections, Im going to find out why that continues to happen, Scott said Thursday after a more than five-hour clemency session by the state Cabinet.

The Florida Supreme Court has disciplined 19 attorneys, with eight disbarred and nine suspended, the Florida Bar announced on Thursday. Some attorneys received more than one discipline. One attorney was placed on probation and two received public reprimands. Read the list of disciplined attorneys here.

Gov. Rick Scott is scheduled to tour the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Friday, where he will hold a ceremonial bill-signing that directs tourist development dollars for such aquatic centers.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will hold a public rate filing hearing request from Praetorian Insurance Co. on lender-placed insurance in Floridas Capitol on July 3. Lender-placed insurance, also known as force-placed, is imposed by lenders on individuals who fail to secure homeowners insurance for their property as required by the mortgage or other lending document.

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott will continue to tour areas flooded by Tropical Storm Debby, a heavy rainmaker that slowly crossed the state earlier this week. The governor went to Suwannee County to survey damage from the storm's heavy rains on Thursday with Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon. Scott is scheduled to visit,-- starting at 6:45 a.m. --the emergency operations center in Pasco County, meeting residents and emergency officials impacted by the storm.

A disappointed Florida Gov. Rick Scott said on Thursday it will take some time to absorb the U.S. Supreme Court's Obamacare ruling.

Sometimes finger-pointing and/or stone-throwing can jump up and bite you in the arse. It certainly did to the Palm Beach Post Thursday morning, when the Post first sent a tweet announcing a defeat for Obamacare at the hands of the Supreme Court, then moments later "Post on Politics" takes Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater to task for "jumping the gun" on the ruling like "CNN". Kinda funny, actually. Have a look below.

With the Supreme Court of the United States on Thursday upholding most of the federal health-care law that President Barack Obama signed in 2010, the impact of the decision is already shaping state and local politics. For example, on Floridas First Coast, two Republicans -- former Rep. Aaron Bean and Rep. Mike Weinstein, R-Jacksonville -- are battling in the August primary to replace term-limited Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville. Both Bean and Weinstein came out swinging against the decision on Thursday afternoon.