In a series of extraordinary court actions, the city of Dearborn barred pastor Terry Jones from going near America's largest mosque for three years. Jones, who heads the Gainesville-based Dove World Outreach Center, had planned to protest outside the Islamic Center of America on Good Friday. But he instead was hauled before Dearborn 19th District Court after a gun he was carrying accidentally discharged. A jury ruled that Jones' demonstration plans could breach the peace.

A Fraternal Order of Police lodge in Orlando is taking no prisoners in the legislative battle over union dues. Contesting Republican efforts to pass a "paycheck protection" bill that bars government agencies from withholding union dues, FOP Lodge 25 blasted the Florida Chamber of Commerce for promoting the idea. "The clear purpose of the proposed legislation backed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce is to increase the operating costs to administer and manage union membership," the FOP stated in a news release Thursday.

Freshman Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross announced on Thursday that he was going to co-sponsor a measure introduced by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, that would repeal taxes on Social Security benefits. Paul has been fighting for the Senior Citizens' Tax Elimination Actand the Social Security Beneficiaries Tax Reduction Act -- repealing a tax imposed on Social Security benefits implemented in 1993 -- for the better part of a decade in the U.S. House.

On Friday morning CNN called Pastor Terry Jones "the news gift that keeps on giving," and why not? The Quran-burning Gainesville pastor accidentally discharged his firearm in a TV station parking lot in Detroit Thursday night. Apparently the shot went into the floor of his car and no one was hurt. Happily, the FOX-owned WJBK television station where the incident took place has a policy of not allowing guns inside the building, or who knows what might have happened.

While Congress endlessly debates funding for Planned Parenthood, the issue is a no-brainer for older male Floridians, who just say no. A new poll shows a majority of likely voters in Florida support efforts to cut all federal funding for Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading abortion provider. Viewpoint Florida found that 54 percent of respondents want subsidies stopped while 38 percent oppose a cutoff.

The Natural Resource Trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Trustees) reached an agreement with BP on Thursday with the oil company agreeing to send $1 billion to help restoration projects in states impacted by last years oil spill.

Former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico announced on Thursday that he intended to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Johnson, who served two terms as governor, won national attention during his tenure in office for calling for the legalization of marijuana .

As negotiations continue between lawmakers and the Florida Bar over judicial reforms, House Speaker Dean Cannon has overruled proposed pay cuts for judges. The House initially planned to reduce judicial salaries by 8 percent, but Cannon interceded to put $15 million back in the budget to keep salaries intact. The Florida Bar, in its latest board of governors' report, also indicated: "Attempts to reduce overall judicial pensions appear to have failed, although judges may wind up contributing to their pensions, as will other state employees including court staff."

The 2011 edition of the Time 100, the venerable magazines listing of the most influential people in the world, seems just a tad off. The likes of Vladimir Putin and Benedict XVI are nowhere to be found, while musician Sting --who has not had a hit album in years (though I did like his stab at performing the greatest hits of Elizabethan composer John Dowland) --and comedic actress Amy Poehlerare included on the list.

Republicans are in firm control of redistricting efforts in Tallahassee, in their lists of the top 10 congressional Democratic and Republican incumbents vulnerable in redistricting, David Wasserman and Julia Edwards over at National Journal included Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West:

Question for Central Florida union members:Where are you going to keep your money now, folks, under the bed?

When the House met on Wednesday afternoon, the session began with a moment of silence for former Rep. Jack Tobin who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 69. Tobin served in the House from 1982 until 1998. Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek, took to the House floor to offer a tribute to Tobin.

Marking the one-year anniversary of the Gulf oil spill, on Wednesday Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio called for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to meet in Pensacola to focus on the regions recovery.

Score another win for Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Putnams Healthy Schools for Healthy Lives Act (HB 7219) received unanimous support from the House Appropriations Committee and, on Wednesday, he thanked committee chairwoman Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, and the members for supporting it.

Likely voters in Florida overwhelmingly support a law requiring Florida voters to present a government-issued ID in order to vote, according to a statewide survey. A proposal to require all Florida voters to show a government-issued ID such as a drivers license in order to vote received almost universal support from respondents to a Viewpoint Florida survey conducted April 13-18. Some 87 percent of respondents said they would support a photo ID requirement, compared to just 9 percent who said voters should not be required to show an ID.