Orange juice sales are down 15.5 percent and Florida citrus officials believe the cause is consumers fear of foreign imports tainted with carbendazim, a fungicide illegal in the United States due to potential hormone-disrupting effects. Florida citrus officials told the Lakeland Ledger Monday that buyers are concerned about the fungicide making its way into U.S. orange juice products from Brazilian imports.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, anticipates legislators will need to come back after the regular session to redraw some of the proposed redistricted legislative and congressional boundary lines. Haridopolos told reporters Monday he wouldnt be surprised if the Supreme Court, based upon questions posed by some of the justices during a Feb. 29 hearing, rules out parts of the House and Senate maps.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said Monday that the Senate most likely will focus on reviving a Senate bill aimed at regulating Internet cafes that offer sweepstakes prizes from slot machine games instead of taking up HB 3, which has already been approved by the House.

Rush Limbaugh still claims he isn't worried about advertisers quitting him because he called college student Sandra Fluke a "slut." He says he can pick up more radio advertisers at the drop of a hat -- in fact, "he insists he's turned away 'millions.'" Who so far have announced they'll pull their ads? There are seven companies: AOL, ProFlowers, Quicken Loans, Sleep Number beds, Sleep Train, Citrix Systems and LegalZoom.

While some Florida Democrats complain about "Parent Trigger" legislation that targets failing public schools in the state, two big-name Democrats from California are supporting the bill. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa -- Democratic National Convention chairman, Barack Obamas national campaign co-chairman and a former teachers union organizer -- applauded the concept, saying:

A poll for Rep. Sandy Adams' campaign projects that she will "close the gap significantly" on Rep. John Mica in the months leading up to their August primary election. Mica and Adams, both R-Orlando, have each declared for the newly drawn 7th Congressional District. Mica is a 20-year veteran of the House and chairman of the Transportation Committee. Adams is a freshman.

The House and Senate budget chiefs, Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, and Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, reached agreement on a fiscal plan Monday. The full $70 billion spending plan, which will include money to break USF-Polytechnic in Lakeland into the states 12th university, will be released Tuesday. By having the budget ready Tuesday, legislators will be able to cast final votes on the fiscal plan on Friday, the last scheduled day of the regular 60-day session. The budget must also be signed by Gov. Rick Scott.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called out President Barack Obamas plan to boost health-care premiums for active-duty and retired military personnel. On her Facebook page, Palin approvingly cited U.S. Rep. Allen Wests opposition to Obamas plan to reform Tricare.

By an overwhelming vote Monday, the Florida House of Representatives approved an energy plan championed by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and designed to reduce the state's dependence on natural gas for its energy needs.

House budget chief Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, expects the budget should be ready for printing Tuesday. Grimsley just told the House that todays 4 p.m. budget meeting with Senate Budget Committee Chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, should be the last one needed to put the approximately $70 billion fiscal plan together. At that point well be able to go forward with the printing of the budget to have on the desk tomorrow to begin the 72-hour constitutionally mandated waiting period, Grimsley said.

An American Research Group poll released on Monday finds that Newt Gingrich, who represented the Peach State for two decades in Congress, is set to win Georgia -- the biggest prize on the map on Super Tuesday. There are 76 delegates up for grabs in the Georgia primary. Gingrich leads the poll of likely voters with 44 percent followed by Mitt Romney in distant second with 24 percent. Rick Santorum takes third with 19 percent followed by Ron Paul with 9 percent, while 1 percent back other candidates and 3 percent remain undecided.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said a ruling against the law approved last year to require state employees to contribute to their pension would be the ultimate case of judicial activism."

A poll from Fox News Latino found that President Barack Obama is doing very well with Hispanic voters but that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., would help Republicans cut into the Democrat incumbents lead with those voters. Obama gets the approval of 73 percent of Hispanic voters and none of the leading Republican candidates get more than 14 percent against him in a head to head matchup.

Update: see ruling here...

It's funny when it's not so pathetic. It's actually funnier that it is so pathetic. You just have to get the joke. In its newest, typically ignorant jeremiad against all things conservative, Time magazine takes aimat Florida for its cultural backwardness, allergy to education, and general religious mania "news pegged" on the passage of the inspirational message -- i.e., "school prayer but we can't call it that because somebody, somewhere might be offended" -- bill in the state Legislature.