Manatee County will sue or join a lawsuit against the state of Florida over the controversial Medicaid bill, HB 5301, that will require counties to pay more into Medicaid, including 85 percent of what the state claims are years of unpaid bills. Manatee County owes about $4 million in back Medicaid fees. Manatee County commissioners voted 6-0 on Tuesday to pursue legal action, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Republican state Sen. Paula Dockery joined 26 Democrats on a list of "Champions of Florida's Middle Class" compiled by three liberal groups. Florida Watch Action, Progress Florida and America Votes honored 27 state lawmakers, based on the following votes:

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater is warning senior consumers about a scam that involves misleading postcards claiming an annuity they may have has reached the end of its surrender period. The Florida Department of Financial Services has filed a Notice of Intent to Issue Cease and Desist Order against the Medina, Ohio-based company, Unlimited Fulfillment Services LLC. According to Atwaters office, Unlimited Fulfillment Services has allegedly been advising seniors that they need to contact the companys scheduling department to discuss options.

Two attorneys for George Zimmerman said Tuesday they're quitting the case because their client, the Sanford neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot teenager Trayvon Martin, has disappeared. It's unethical taking actions related to the case when you can't consult with your client, they said.

Santa Rosa County should soon see its economy strengthen by the fines from the BP spill that ruined the 2010 tourism season, an economist told the county commission.

Next up for Hamilton County may be contesting Attorney General Pam Bondis decision to prohibit the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation from issuing slot licenses to pari-mutuel facilities outside Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Voters in Hamilton County on Tuesday said they want slot machines at the Hamilton Jai Alai & Poker and the Hamilton Downs Race Track. More than 61 percent of the voters in the rural Hamilton County voted in support of letting the poker room seek a slot license.

The Republican Party of Florida released a statement from Gov. Rick Scott after Rick Santorum suspended his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination on Tuesday. There is no question that Rick Santorum ran a hard fought campaign, Scott said. I commend his passion and his willingness to put the best interest of our party and nation first.

A group headed by former Bush strategist Karl Rove is launching a TV spot in Florida blaming high gas prices on the Obama administration. The issue ad, entitled Too Much, will start Wednesday on broadcast and cable networks in Tampa-St-Petersburg, Orlando, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers-Naples for a total of $789,388.

U.S. Rep. Allen West, commenting on President Obama's visit to his congressional district, said today: "Four years ago, our president's campaign of hope and change inspired and united millions of Americans. Listening to President Obama's speech at Florida Atlantic University today, it is clear that 'hope and change' has been replaced with 'divide and rule.' "President Obama's only hope for re-election seems to be that Americans will overlook his failed economic policies if he can successfully divide people along the lines of income and wealth."

This doesn't fit our usual focus on Florida politics and business news -- in fact, it's not even from the continental U.S. -- but this string of repetitive, empty-headed presidential speechifying comes to us via the Daily Caller's Jim Treacher. And it's a riot. As an American, I think it's an embarrassing riot. But as a conservative, I couldn't help but laugh.

Looking, perhaps, to exert a little influence on GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Herman Cain appeared on the Steve Gill Show on Radio America Monday morning to push Florida Rep. Allen West as Romneys vice presidential pick.

Students in charter schools outpace their traditional public school counterparts on state assessments, according to a report released Tuesday from the Florida Department of Education. This report clearly demonstrates that charter schools are a viable option for parents, Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson stated in a release. Charter schools offer a wide range of educational environments to meet the needs of students and their families.

A coalition of conservatives, including comedian and activist Victoria Jackson, continues to lobby Gov. Rick Scott to veto the energy bill favored by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and passed by the Legislature this session.

While he is backing Newt Gingrich in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, businessman and former candidate Herman Cain told Fox News on Tuesday that its time the GOP starts to rally behind Mitt Romney.

In response to his praise of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, the Miami Marlins announced on Tuesday that manager Ozzie Guillen would be suspended for five games starting with Wednesday night's game in Philadelphia. The Marlins acknowledge the seriousness of the comments attributed to Guillen, the baseball team announced in a statement released on Tuesday. The pain and suffering caused by Fidel Castro cannot be minimized, especially in a community filled with victims of the dictatorship.