A House measure taking aim at pill mills and eliminating the statewide drug-monitoring database passed the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning.

A day after the House readied its version of Medicaid reform for a final floor vote, the Senate Medicaid overhaul package moved through its first committee.

On Tuesday, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis introduced a bill that would require the federal government to provide more thorough background checks on student visa applicants. "Many foreign students come here with noble intentions, and while not all terrorists have come to the U.S. under the guise of a student visa, many do," said Bilirakis. "Terrorists have found a loophole in our nation's security, and we must close that loophole."

Right on cue, a new housing report affirms what Sunshine State News asserted last week: Washington, D.C., resides in a recession-proof bubble. The D.C. area, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index, was only one of two U.S. metro markets in the nation to post an increase in housing prices in the past year.

With my passion for the Sunshine States history, it came as no surprise to me that Florida played a prominent role in a list of the 100 greatest April Fools Day pranks assembled by the Museum of Hoaxes. Crazy things seem to happen in Florida, as anyone who remembers the 2000 presidential race can attest.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney took aim at President Barack Obama over military actions on Libya on Tuesday.

Florida-based Lennar Corp. released its fiscal first quarter results Tuesday, reporting net earnings of $27.4 million. Stuart Miller, Lennars president and CEO, said in a company statement:

A proposal that would pull the plug on multiyear contracts for new state college and community college faculty members and administrators advanced through the House K-20 Competitiveness Subcommittee on a party-lines vote on Tuesday. Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, the chairman of the subcommittee, relinquished the gavel to present the bill to the committee. He insisted that only employees at the 28 schools in the State College System -- and not universities -- would be impacted by the proposal.

Karen Harrington announced on Monday that she will run once again for Conrgess against Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

The strike force formed by Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi to combat pill mills is winning the praise of a fellow Florida Republican -- U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan. I applaud Governor Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi for taking action on such a critical issue, said Buchanan on Tuesday morning. Its imperative that we crack down on phony pain clinics that bring untold misery to our children, our families, and our communities.

Get ready for it. Marco Rubio has given his first national interview since being elected, talking about his political plans, Libya, Barack Obama's effectiveness as a president and the always-fertile-conversation-maker -- the birther movement.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio ruled out running for the presidency in 2012. In an interview on ABC News, Rubio insisted he was focused on his current position and would not join the increasingly crowded field of candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination. The reality is that I ran for the United States Senate for a simple reason, said Rubio. The United States Senate is a pretty important job, too.

Encompassing 5,000 square miles, roughly a tenth of Floridas land is privately held by 10 entities, reports Florida Trend magazine. Six of the 10 companies are based in Florida. Stretching the length of the state, the list includes: 1. Plum Creek Timber 590,000 acres.2. St. Joe Co. 576,000 acres.3. Foley Timber 562,000 acres.4. Rayonier 401,000 acres.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is cautioning Florida citizens to be wary of scammers targeting the elderly who call claiming to be related to them. The scammers have been able to get the appropriate name to display on the caller ID, and after gaining their target's trust, ask them to send money, usually overseas.

A new poll shows voter discontent with the federal government remains high even after a turnover in leadership in the U.S. House and the midterm elections. In the Rasmussen survey, 69 percent of likely voters say they remain at least somewhat angry with the current policies of the federal government, an uptick from last summers 65 percent. Of that group, 38 percent describe themselves as very angry.