Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will kick off Florida Agriculture Literacy Day on Tuesday morning by reading to second graders at Dunbar Elementary Magnet School in Tampa. More than 1,000 volunteers from across Florida will read from "Healthy Florida Farms," written by Arlette Roberge and illustrated by Rick Joggerst, to an estimated 54,000 elementary class students.

A drop in the global demand for fuel has helped the price dip to a price that motorists havent seen since 2011, according to AAA. Floridians began the week paying an average of $3.80 for a gallon of regular gas on Monday, down 8 cents on average from a week earlier, 13 cents less than a month ago, according to AAA. "Since the start of the year, 2012 broke daily, weekly and monthly records for the highest price averages at the pump, but now the tables have turned and prices are below last year's level," Jessica Brady, AAA spokeswoman, stated in a release.

A wide-ranging bill that included shifting tax dollars generated by visitors to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to Florida Institute of Technology was vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott on Friday. Scott wrote that while he supported the majority of the bill, House Bill 7099, he disagreed with the Legislature's decision to send $5 million a year in sales tax revenue from the space center visitors to the Melbourne-based FIT.

Gov. Rick Scott told a Spanish-language station in South Florida on Friday he would sign the anti-Castro business bill that has been opposed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, according to the Miami Herald.

Bills that would keep high school athletes with concussions off the field until cleared by a doctor, and another that would allow high school athletes to transfer without missing a game, were both signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott on Friday.

Gov. Rick Scott announced that director of appointments Chester Spellman has been named chief executive officer of Volunteer Florida. Chester was an effective member of my campaign, inaugural activities and has more than 10 years of experience in leading nonprofit organizations focused on youth development, education and mentoring, Scott stated in a release.

Dr. John H. Armstrong, M.D., has been named by Gov. Rick Scott to be Floridas surgeon general and secretary of the Florida Department of Health.

A poll unveiled by Rasmussen Reports on Friday finds that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has solid leads over the three leading Republicans looking to defeat him in November, though the Democrat incumbent does not break 50 percent against any of the GOP hopefuls.

The governors office announced that Gov. Rick Scott signed four bills Friday that expand the protections available to victims of domestic and sexual violence. While Florida has a 40-year low crime rate, we must continue to protect the rights of individuals affected by crime, Scott stated in a release. This critical legislation I have signed into law shows the valuable steps Florida has made in protecting the rights of victims. HB 1355: Protection of Vulnerable Persons

The Florida Supreme Court has declared that the Senates second attempt to redraw its political boundary lines is valid. The majority of the court rejected the arguments from critics of the map submitted by the Senate -- under the once-a-decade redistricting -- that the boundary lines failed to follow the anti-gerrymandering requirements of the voter-approved Fair Districts amendments.

A poll of likely voters by Rasmussen Reports unveiled on Friday shows that Florida should expect, once again, to be the chief battleground as President Barack Obama hopes to hold off Mitt Romney, the overwhelming favorite to be the Republican presidential nominee, in November. The poll shows Romney leading in the Sunshine State by the skin of his teeth, taking 46 percent while the Democrat incumbent is right behind him with 45 percent,and 6 percent of those surveyed support other candidates while 3 percent are not sure.

Gov. Rick Scott continued Friday to defend his 2011 executive order to require random drug testing of state employees that was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge. If you talk to the typical person that has a job in our state outside government, theyve been drug screened, Scott said during a morning interview of WCOA 1370 AM in Pensacola.

Gov. Rick Scott said he understands the concerns of the 47 counties that teamed to file a lawsuit Thursday challenging the new state Medicaid law that requires them to pay 85 percent of what the state claims are years of unpaid bills. But he wouldnt say hed put a freeze on the law as the court process plays out, when asked during an interview Friday morning on WCOA 1370 AM in Pensacola.

Gov. Rick Scott and Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll will visit the Hernando County Sheriffs Office on Friday for a ceremonial signing ofa bill named after a 22-year veteran deputy who was killed last July in a high-speed chase. House Bill 667, the "Deputy John C. Mecklenburg Act," increases the penalties against a suspect if a law enforcement officer or bystander is killed while a suspect of a crime is fleeing or eluding law enforcement officers.

Less than a week after Florida Sen. Nan Rich reasserted plans to challenge for Gov. Rick Scotts job in 2014, the Weston Democrat has opened a campaign account that will allow her to begin collecting money for the campaign. Rich, 70, the Senate Democratic leader, opened her account with the State Division of Elections on Monday.