Florida students will spend at least a month focusing on the nations founding as September will be American Founders Month under a bill, HB 689, that was advanced by a 94-21 vote in the House on Thursday.

Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday called the Senate's defeat of a provision exempting religious organizations from some aspects of the federal mandate to provide insurance coverage for birth control and drugs that induce abortion a "setback for religious freedoms."

On Thursday, Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate rejected the amendment from U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., which would have permitted employers to refuse to cover health-care costs that are contrary to their religious beliefs -- mainly birth-control and contraception. The amendment went down on a 51-48 vote. Earlier this year, the Obama administration backed a mandate that employers affiliated with religious organizations opposed to birth control would have to cover contraception costs as part of the federal health-care plan that Obama signed into law back in 2010.

Attorney General Pam Bondi outlined Floridas approach to prescription-drug abuse to the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Thursday. We must have a critical mass of educated, productive and healthy citizens, because a healthy and drug-free Florida is the cornerstone to any effort to spur economic rejuvenation and free enterprise, Bondi said. Indeed, the very success of our society will be determined in large part by the productive nature and quality of the people that constitute our work force.

Hitting the campaign trail in Cherokee County, Ga., on Thursday,Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich called on President Barack Obama to fire U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

I realize I'm a little late to the party on this one, since the Obama speech I'm talking about took place Tuesday, but in my own defense, we do have a Legislature in session and some pretty big primaries going on that distracted my attention from The One. The One, that is, who vowed to buy a Chevy Volt -- in five years, after a nationally ruinous re-election. It's about the best, clearest example of what liberalism/socialism/totalidotism is all about.

While Rick Santorum leads in the polls in the Buckeye State, which holds its presidential primary on Tuesday, GOP rival Mitt Romney insisted on Thursday that he is also playing to win in Ohio. Looking to win as many of the 66 delegates on the line in Ohio, Romney announced campaign chairmen in all 88 counties in the Buckeye State on Thursday.

A bill that would require the controversial Westboro Baptist Church-- or anyone else who for some reason desires to protest a military funeral --to stand at least 500 feet away, was moved toward a third reading by the Senate Thursday.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, released the following statement after the Senate voted 38-1 to approve the claim bill for William Dillon on Thursday.

The House voted 72-43 Thursday for a bill that would prohibit Internet cafes and arcades that offer slot-machine style games that offer sweepstakes instead of directly giving cash as prizes. However, HB 3 isnt expected to advance in the Senate, where the focus has been to regulate the rapidly growing strip mall storefront shops.

A bill to name auto racing as the official sport of Florida hit a couple of speed humps as it advanced in the Senate Thursday. The Senate agreed to advance the bill, SB 266, to a third vote that should occur Friday.Several senators questioned the impact of auto racing compared to other activities that are more accessible to youths and adults, ranging from football, baseball and golf to tennis, swimming and fishing.

From his perch on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. Rep. David Rivera joined his chairwoman -- and fellow Florida Republican -- U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lethinen in opposing a proposal to build a statue of ChGuevara in Galway, Ireland.

The Senate approved two memorials Thursday that are intended to advise federal officials of the majority opinions of Floridas lawmakers. The memorials call for Congress to: --Honor the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and United States Supreme Court case law which limit the scope and exercise of federal power, SM 240.

Attorney General Pam Bondi will testify before a U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee today regarding the prescription drug abuse crisis and Floridas efforts to stop the epidemic. For information on the meeting go here. The subcommittee meeting can be viewed here. Editors note: The appearance time has been removed, as Bondi was initially scheduled to appear at 10:15 a.m.

Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, is turning up the heat on the Guantanamo Bay soccer field. The chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce announced Thursday he will introduce the None of Our Funds for the Interest, Exercise or Leisure of Detainees Act (NO FIELD Act). The bill would instruct the House Budget Committee to reduce the appropriation for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2013 by $750,000.