Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, now running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, said on Tuesday that he opposed current plans in Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling -- including the one backed by U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

The U.S. House conducted a hearing Tuesday on the HALT Act, which aims to curb administrative discretion in deporting illegal aliens. The bill, authored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and co-sponsored by more than a dozen congressmen, including Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., came in response to the Obama administration's announced policy of prioritizing deportations to remove violent criminals first.

The prospective deals on the national debt ceiling are no deal at all, says the conservative Heartland Institute. Annual federal spending has gone from $1.8 trillion to $3.7 trillion in 10 years. The problem is runaway spending. Raising the debt ceiling simply allows government spending to keep running away from fiscal reality," says Steve Stanek, Heartland's research fellow for budget and tax policy.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) Florida Park Service today announced state park attendance at its 160 parks increased during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. More than 20.4 million people visited Florida state parks during the last fiscal year, an increase of approximately 300,000 people from the previous year. Said DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard, The increase in visitors illustrates the demand for recreational and educational experiences that are affordable, close to home and protective of Floridas valuable natural and cultural resources.

Politico has picked up on a blog from Virginia, where GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney was fundraising. It quotes Romney as mentioning U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, in addition to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as his preferred running mate on the ticket. From the Bearing Drift blog:

Following legislation passed earlier this year and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, the Florida Public Service Commission repealed most of the rules regulating the state's land line telephones Tuesday. "By embracing the regulatory reform approved by our Legislature and governor, we expand customer choice, allow pricing flexibility, and spur market expansion for Florida's economic and technological growth," said PSC chairman Art Graham.

With Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine, facing term limits, money is starting to flow to candidates in his district, as two Republicans who've already filed to run for his seat and another candidate, who has filed for another seat but could be moved over due to redistricting, are starting to increase their fundraising. Proctor currently represents parts of Clay, Flagler and St. Johns counties -- but the district could change with the Legislature tackling redistricting in early 2012.

A proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail project is officially dead now that the budget-cutting Wisconsin Legislature eliminated the regional transit authority that was pushing it. Along with the derailment will come a reimbursement of $300,000 that was collected in rental-car fees for the ill-fated train venture. That death blow in the Badger State has critics of Central Florida's SunRail project wishing for a similar fate here as the region's officials belatedly acknowledge a lack of long-term funding.

Another group is jumping into the fight over red-light cameras in Florida. The libertarian Floridians Against REAL ID has drafted legislation that would make the burden of proof in traffic courts the same as it is in criminal court. "The Motorist Rights Restoration Act gives each person appearing in traffic court the right against self-incrimination, to confront witnesses, and standardizes evidence presentation in cases involving traffic infraction detectors, including red-light cameras, so they are to the same standard as other cases," said Paul Henry.

With the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee kicking over the Fair Tax on Tuesday, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who has represented parts of North Florida and the First Coast since 2000, doubled down his support of the proposal. Each and every year, individuals and businesses must navigate thousands of pages of complicated tax code, said Crenshaw. These complex and wieldy regulations cost too much time and money. Simply put, Americans need a fairer and simpler tax code.

The Florida Family Association (FFA), a conservative organization led by David Caton, is taking aim at another television shows advertisers. The FFA is targeting Pretty Little Liars on the ABC Family Channel and encouraging its members and supporters to write to sponsors, encouraging them to pull their support.

The execution of Manuel Valle, convicted of murdering a police officer in Broward County in 1978, has been postponed at least one month to hear arguments over Florida's "lethal injection protocol," the Florida Supreme Court has ruled.

Software company owner Ron Rushing will announce on Tuesday that he is pulling out of the Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and will instead offer a primary challenge to Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, in 2012. Gardiner currently represents parts of Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, though this could change with redistricting which starts in early 2012.

State Sen. Mike Fasano is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to "take immediate action" to ensure that Floridians aren't gouged by the prospective sale of a natural-gas pipeline company. In a letter to Scott, the New Port Richey Republican said he had become aware of the proposed purchase of the Florida Gulf Transmission Pipeline by reading a Sunshine State News article of July 15.

An overwhelming majority of small-business owners expect that Obamacare will result in premium increases, but not better care, according to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business. The study found that 12 percent of respondents said their health plan is or will be on the chopping block as the federal Affordable Care Act moves closer to implementation.