State Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda has re-introduced legislation to repeal Florida law that allows utility companies to charge customers for siting, designing, licensing and constructing nuclear power plants before they are built. Citing the high costs of plant construction and a string of reactor accidents in Japan and France, the Democrat from Tallahassee said, We can do more in Florida to produce truly clean, safe and renewable energy, and with conservation and efficiencies to decrease our dependency on foreign oil.

Dwayne Ingram, who has been on the Workforce Florida board of directors since 2008, was named chairman of the board Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott. Ingram, 49, of Tampa, has been the executive vice president of airline distribution and IT for Amadeus Americas since 2008. Previously, he served as Florida senior state executive and general manager at IBM Corp. from 1997 to 2008. He has also served as a trustee for the Florida Chamber Foundation since 2007. Serving at the pleasure of the governor, Ingrams term begins immediately.

The Senate has revised the schedule for next week's committee meetings in Tallahassee. A full day Reapportionment Committee hearing is now planned for Sept. 22. A Select Committee on Protecting Floridas Children, planned for the morning of Sept. 22, has been moved to Monday, Sept. 19. Below, the updated schedule as released by the Senate. Monday, Sept. 19 1:00 p.m.-2:15 p.m.Select Committee on Protecting Floridas Children 37S3:00 p.m.Republican Caucus in Senate Chamber. Tuesday, Sept. 20

Lew Oliver, chairman of the Orange County Republican Executive Committee, has tossed his hat in the ring for vice chairman of the state party. Lenny Curry, the current vice chair, is expected to ascend to the chairmanship in accordance with the wishes of late Chairman Dave Bitner. If Curry's promotion is ratified by the state REC during the Presidency 5 summit on Friday, Sept., 23, his vice chair position will be up for grabs.

Illegal aliens are using their children to receive cash from a welfare program that Gov. Rick Scott is trying to tighten. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, the welfare program for families living in poverty, is accessible by illegal aliens on behalf of their U.S.-born children, ImmigrationReform.com reports.

The American Conservative Union (ACU) announced that Gov. Rick Scott and Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll will be heading to Orlando to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) meeting on Friday, Sept. 23. In less than a year on the job, Rick Scott has made good on his promises to Floridians: lowering taxes, reducing government spending and promoting economic development in the Sunshine State, said Al Cardenas, the chairman of the ACU and a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, in a statement released on Tuesday.

Craig Miller, the Central Florida businessman who is running for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, announced his financial leadership on Tuesday. Miller, the former CEO of Ruth's Chris and Uno Restaurants, unveiled the backing of Winter Park Mayor Ken Bradley, Republican activist Armando Gutierrez Jr., restaurant owner Gale Lemerand, businessman Doug Long, and Dick Rivera --another veteran of the restaurant industry.

Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner picked up the backing of another prominent national conservative on Tuesday when Colin Hanna, the president of right-of-center policy group Let Freedom Ring, backed his bid for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack said on Monday that President Barack Obama was playing politics over free-trade agreements (FTA) with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. The agreements have been stalled throughout 2011 as the White House looked to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance program (TAA), which provides benefits for American workers who have lost their jobs due to international trade agreements.

Instead of a second stimulus from the White House, Gov. Rick Scott said the federal government should lower corporate taxes and cut business regulations. When asked on Monday about President Obamas $447 billion jobs plan, which the White House has promoted as pumping $7.5 billion into Florida, Scott instead offered two suggestions. One: We cant have the second highest corporate tax in the world and expect people to flock here to our country to build jobs, Scott said.

An E-Verify supporter who calls state Sen. J.D. Alexander "probably the largest employer of illegal aliens in Florida" is not surprised that the Lake Wales Republican is being sued over his hiring practices. A company controlled by Alexander -- Blue Head Farms LLC -- has been sued by two farmworkers who allege he violated federal law by replacing U.S. citizens and green card holders with guest workers.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who is running in a crowded Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, came out swinging against the incumbent on Monday over immigration. LeMieux bashed Nelson for doing nothing to combat illegal immigration during his two terms in the Senate.

With all eyes on the Republican presidential debate in Tampa on Monday night, the camps of the two leading candidates -- Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts -- keep getting larger.

Supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, took aim at the two leading Republican presidential candidates in a web ad released on Sunday. The ad, backed by Revolution PAC, hammers Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts on a number of fronts, and contrasts their records and positions with Pauls.

New Florida lawyers will have to agree to be more civil when they take the oath of admission to the Florida Bar. In recent years, concerns have grown about acts of incivility among members of the legal profession, according to an opinion released Monday by the states Supreme Court. Among others, the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) has sought to increase awareness of the importance of civility in the practice of law. The new oath adds the following language: