Heading into Florida's Presidency 5 summit, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has a small lead over the Republican presidential pack in the state, with 28 percent, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 22 percent, a Quinnipiac Poll said Thursday. Romney has barely moved since he led the Florida GOP field with 23 percent in Quinnipiac's Aug. 4 survey, while Perry has surged from 13 percent in that survey conducted before he formally announced his candidacy.

Citing "ongoing compliance deficiencies," Gov. Rick Scott has put Workforce Central Florida on two weeks' probation. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the governor's office said, "If, at the end of the probation, WCF has not met certain requirements, the state will begin the decertification process." More details upcoming.

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann will address the Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition Presidency V Kickoff Thursday in Orlando. Bachmann, winner of the Iowa straw poll, will join six other White House hopefuls at the Rosen Centre event, which starts at 3 p.m. Other candidates confirmed as speakers are Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

When the GOPs presidential and senatorial candidates speak during events this week in Orlando, Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos wants to hear better ideas instead of simply opposition to President Barack Obama and the Democrats.

Florida's mandatory drug-testing of welfare applicants faces a court challenge from the ACLU, but it's clearly a winner in the court of public opinion. A Quinnipiac survey released Wednesday showed that Florida voters support, by a 71-27 margin, the law requiring drug screening of participants in the Temporary Aid for Need Families program. Republicans back the law 90-8 percent, as do independent voters, 75-24 percent. Democrats split 49-50 percent.

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson will be on the Fox debate stage Thursday in Orlando, but he won't be on the Presidency 5 straw ballot Saturday. A disagreement over the interpretation of the debate-qualification rules ended up with Fox inviting Johnson to join the eight other candidates for the televised debate while the Republican Party of Florida keeps Johnson out of the straw poll.

Gov. Rick Scott's poll numbers continue to improve, according to a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday. Voters still disapprove of the job the governor is doing, 50-37 percent, but the opposition is fading. His disapproval score was 52-35 in August and 57-29 in May. Asked if they like the governor as a person, no matter how they feel about his policies, voters split 37-37 percent.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos said he would consider imposing a sales tax on Internet sales in the Sunshine State, as Florida TaxWatch has recommended. However, he would prefer a national standard to keep a level playing field for all retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by residents. At the end of the day, youre going to want to have that compact set up with all of the states to have uniformity, Haridopolos said, as it should be with tax issues or term limits. If its not uniform, youre going to have problems.

Gov. Rick Scott filled two remaining positions on the eight-member Citizens Property Insurance Corp. board of governors with the appointments of John Rollins and John Wortman on Tuesday. According to the release from the governors office:

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas announced his leadership team for the Republican Party of Floridas (RPOF) Presidency 5 (P5) event in Orlando later this week, which includes some of the heavy hitters in Florida politics. Perry will be taking part in a straw poll at P5 on Saturday. Perry announced that Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, would serve as a chairman of his efforts in the Sunshine State along with a host of Republican officials and conservative leaders as co-chairmen.

Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos is at peace with the idea that Florida may have to exchange delegates at the national convention for having an early primary. Id much rather have a say in who the nominee (is) as opposed to just coronating the winner at the convention, said Haridopolos. There really hasnt been a convention that really picked a president in a long, long time.

Restaurant owner Karen Harrington was the Republican nominee who challenged South Florida Democrat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2010 and is hoping for a rematch in 2012. Harrington has been on the attack in recent months and slammed Wasserman Schultz, who is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, on campaign finance reform in a statement releasedTuesday.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, now making his second bid for the Republican presidential nomination, sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Tuesday regarding proposed cuts to veterans benefits and international affairs.

Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico took aim on Monday at President Barack Obamas call to combat the federal deficit by raising taxes. In a statement, Johnson dismissed Obamas plans to cut federal spending as inconsequential.

Billionaire Donald Trump, who flirted with running for president earlier in the year, announced via Twitter on Tuesday that he will not be attending the American Conservative Unions (ACU) Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event in Orlando later this week. Sorry I will miss the CPAC gathering in Orlando -- there in spirit, posted Trump before taking a shot at President Barack Obama. Obama must go.