The newly passed funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration orders the agency to develop regulations for the testing and licensing of commercial drones by 2015. The directive represents "a huge push by lawmakers and the defense sector to expand the use of drones" in U.S. airspace, says Jennifer Lynch of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Local law-enforcement agencies around the country have begun to employ drone aircraft (see Sunshine State News story here).

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Darlene F. Dickey of Molino to the Escambia County Court. Throughout Darlenes career, she has gained valuable experience listening to all sides of the issues in order to gain the understanding needed to resolve conflicts, Scott stated in a release. Her willingness and ability to apply sound and restrained legal analysis will serve the people of Escambia County well. According to a release from the governor's office: "Dickey, 41, has been general counsel for the Escambia County sheriffs office since 2006.

On Wednesday, the Florida Catholic Conference presented two Republicans in the Legislature -- Sen. Ronda Storms of Bradenton and Rep. Dennis Baxley of Ocala -- with the Defensor Vitae (Defender of Life) Awards. The conference praised Storms for backing parental notice for teens considering abortion and for sponsoring a bill requiring ultrasounds for mothers considering abortions.

Sunshine State News is hitting the radio airwaves on Wednesday at 3 p.m. I will be on the Ed Dean radio show, which is hosted by one of the most feisty, informative and entertaining conservatives in Florida. It can be heard online here and on two stations in both Central Florida -- 89.3 FM on the west coast -- and on the Space Coast at 90.3 FM.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., came out swinging at President Barack Obama on Wednesday, attacking the Democrat for backing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' mandate that religious organizations provide insurance coverage for birth control under the federal health-care law that the president signed. At the end of January, Rubio introduced a measure allowing church-affiliated organizations the ability to opt out on grounds of religious liberty and right of conscience -- the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012.

Businessman Donald Trump praised Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday. Noting on his Twitter account that Scott was speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference event up in Washington later this week, Trump, who weighed running for president in 2000 and 2012, offered kind words for the governor of the Sunshine State. Solid guy, wonderful job.

After losing out to Rick Santorum in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri on Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney took aim at both Santorum and fellow GOP rival Newt Gingrich on Wednesday. Romneys team hammered both Santorum and Gingrich for their records in Washington on spending.

Conservative radio personality Joyce Kaufman is backing former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November. Joyce Kaufman has been a common-sense, conservative voice for 20 years, LeMieux said in a statement sent out on Wednesday. She is unwavering in her beliefs, unafraid to speak her mind, and cautious when supporting political candidates. Joyce is an opinion leader of substance and value and I am honored to receive her endorsement for the U.S. Senate.

While Rick Santorum swept contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri on Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney focused his fire on another GOP contender -- Newt Gingrich -- on Wednesday.

Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich ripped into a panel of federal judges that decided on Tuesday in a 2-1 decision on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that Proposition 8 -- a measure approved by California votes to recognize only traditional marriage in the Golden State -- was unconstitutional.

Conventional wisdom has held that economic issues -- and not social ones -- would dominate the 2012 election cycle. But with a panel of federal judges deciding on Tuesday in a 2-1 decision on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that Proposition 8 -- a measure approved by California votes to recognize only traditional marriage in the Golden State -- was unconstitutional, social issues have bounced back into the presidential race.

Tim Pawlenty entered the 2012 election cycle as a giant in the Republican Party and appears to be leaving it as a dwarf. The former Minnesota governor came close to being John McCains running mate in 2008 and, with his solid record in a swing state, he started the 2012 battle for the Republican nomination as one of the favorites. But Pawlenty failed to connect and quickly ran out ofsteam. After a third-place finish in the Iowa Republican straw poll in August -- behind fellow Minnesota Republican Michele Bachmann -- Pawlenty dropped out of the race.

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum swept three contests on Tuesday, scoring big wins in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri.

Gov. Rick Scott, who has proposed a $1 billion jump in funding for K-12 education and repeatedly stated he wouldnt sign a budget that fails to have a significant education funding increase, praised the Senates education proposal released on Tuesday. I am pleased that the Florida Senate, like the Florida House, has answered my call to significantly increase education funding by advancing a proposal that provides over $1 billion additional state dollars for educating Floridas future, Scott stated in a release.

Attorney General Pam Bondi will be joined by Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, to push Wednesday for legislators to advance bills to make Florida "a zero-tolerance state" for human trafficking, according to a release from her office. With Florida considered one of the top states for trafficking victims in the U.S., an anti-trafficking bill by Flores, SB 1880, has advanced through only a single committee. Snyders bill, HB 7049, has yet to be voted on by a committee.