Trying to catch Newt Gingrich in Florida, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is trotting out some of his leading supporters in the Sunshine State in the last week before the primary. The Romney camp brought out Connie Mack, the congressman seeking the Republican nomination to take on Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November, to praise their candidate for releasing his tax returns on Tuesday.

With Mitt Romney stumbling and Republicans fearing that Newt Gingrich would drag down GOP candidates across the country, the drumbeat is growing louder for other candidates to enter the race -- including a favorite son from the Sunshine State.

Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who is seeking a third term in November, continues to draw the fire of Republicans at the national level. The National Republican Senate Committee released a Web video on Tuesday slamming Nelson for being part of the Democratic Senate majority that continues to fumble in passing a budget after 1,000 days.

The Florida Senate recognized the parents of Army Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith and Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, both U.S. Medal of Honor recipients. Smith, a Tampa resident and a member of Company B, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, died after exposing himself repeatedly to enemy fire in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 4, 2003.

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Glenton G. Glen Gilzean, a former legislative staff member for former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, to the Pinellas County School Board. Glens commitment to education was instilled in him by his parents, who came to this country from Jamaica, Scott stated in the release. He has dedicated much of his life to ensuring Florida students have the opportunity to learn and achieve in the classroom. According to the release from the governors office:

The Senate Rules Committee on Monday unanimously backed SB 206, which would require local governments throughout the Sunshine State to hear from their residents before voting on any topic. The bill, by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, is trying to reverse, through the legislative process, a 1st District Court of Appeal ruling from 2010 that declared the public does not have a right, by law, to speak at meetings.

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed J. Andrew Atkinson to the 2nd Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. According to a release from the governors office: "Atkinson, 38, of Tallahassee, is an attorney at Broad and Cassel. Previously, he served as assistant general counsel in the executive office of the governor from 2009 to 2011, senior judicial law clerk to Judge Melanie G. May in the 4th District Court of Appeal from 2007 to 2009 and in the office of the attorney general as an assistant attorney general and deputy solicitor general from 2005 to 2007.

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Beth R. Kigel to the Florida Transportation Commission. According to a release from the governors office: "Kigel, 43, of Lake Worth, is the executive vice president of The Goldwater Taplin Group Inc., headquartered in West Palm Beach. She was vice president and governmental consultant of KBS Strategies Group LLC from 2008 through 2011.

An effort to block the NFL from blacking out televised games played at publicly supported stadiums in Florida got the backing after being amended to another bill -- of the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Monday. The initial bill by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, SB 836, would fine teams that benefit from public dollars $125,000 each time a game is blacked out.

With his son, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., involved in an incident with the Transportation Security Administration at an airport on Monday morning, Republican presidential hopeful U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas came out swinging at that federal agency. The police state in this country is growing out of control.One of the ultimate embodiments of this is the TSA that gropes and grabs our children, our seniors, and our loved ones and neighbors with disabilities. The TSA does all of this while doing nothing to keep us safe, Paul said in a statement on Monday.

St. Johns County, followed by Santa Rosa, Martin, Sarasota and Gilchrist counties, topped the list of the state's 67 school districts, according to the Florida Department of Education. The numerical ranking is based on each districts total points derived from FCAT scores. Madison County stood at the bottom of the list, below DeSoto, Hamilton and Jefferson counties.

A new poll finds former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, fresh from his win in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, now leads the field of Republican presidential hopefuls in Florida.

With Newt Gingrichs big win in South Carolina, the team behind Republican presidential primary rival Mitt Romney is taking aim at the former congressional leader. As the race heads to Florida, the Romney camp slammed Gingrich for his work in the Beltway after leaving Congress.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will read to third-grade students at Kate Sullivan Elementary School in Tallahassee on Monday morning before heading to the Capitol to outline his energy plan to a Senate committee. Putnam, and other volunteer readers across Florida taking part in Celebrate Literacy Week, will read Healthy Florida Farm, a book written by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in which Florida farmers offer nutritious foods to schools, according to a release from the department.

Results for South Carolina Republican Primary (U.S. Presidential Primary) Jan 21, 2012 (100% of precincts reporting) Newt Gingrich 243,153 40.4% Mitt Romney 167,279 27.8% Rick Santorum 102,055 17% Ron Paul 77,993 13% Rick Perry 2,494 0.4% Other 8,192 1.4% As reported by AP