As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a measure repealing the federal health care law backed by President Barack Obama, the two leaders who preside over the Legislature sent a letter to Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on Wednesday asking him to support the repeal effort.

With RNC Chairman Reince Priebus in Tampa to check out the location of the 2012 GOP convention on Wednesday and calling for Sunshine State Republicans to schedule a later presidential primary, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith agreed and called once again for the state to move the primary back.

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott named Cynthia Cindy OConnell to head up the Florida Lottery. OConnell, whose experience includes stints in consulting, communications and with the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, also had a stint leading the Division of Research and Promotions for the lottery. She also served on the board of trustees of the University of Florida and is the chairwoman of the Florida House in Washington.

A Merritt Island boater repeatedly cited for violating Manatee Protection Speed Zones in Brevard and Volusia counties was sentenced Wednesday for killing a West Indian manatee. After a joint investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Joseph F. Miata Jr., 62, was criminally charged by the U.S.attorneys office with killing a manatee and violating the federal Endangered Species Act.

The News Service of Florida has video of the press gaggle around Gov. Rick Scott earlier on Wednesday. Scott kicked over a number of topics including a new poll from Quinnipiac University, the budget and pension reforms for state employees.

Newly inaugurated Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Rich Nugent weighed in on Wednesday on the continuing battle over the federal health care law backed by President Barack Obama.

Officer Reeshemah Taylor, an eight-year veteran of the Osceola County Corrections Department, received the 2010 Florida Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award on Wednesday in Tallahassee. Gov. Rick Scott, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam joined Attorney General Pam Bondi in lauding Taylor and the nine other officers nominated for the award.

Some may not like Rick Scott, but they can't deny he's doing a good job so far. A new Quinnipiac poll released today shows a lot of voters, 43 percent, undecided on the governor's job performance during his first 3 1/2 weeks in office. Many, about 45 percent, say they also need more time to decide if they would give him a favorable rating overall.

A 47-year-old University of Massachusetts student who said he believed Rep. William Snyder, R-Stuart, was trying to abolish the 14th Amendment was arrested late Monday in Northampton, Mass., for threatening the life of Snyder and his family. The e-mailed threat came an hour after the Jan. 8 mass shooting in Arizona that left six people dead and 13 wounded, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

With an eye on taking him on in 2012, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack threw down the gauntlet at Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on Tuesday, demanding that the senator support repealing the federal health care law backed by President Barack Obama.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has introduced a measure to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care law passed last year, as an amendment to legislation dealing with the Federal Aviation Administration. Senators are currently debating the amendment on the Senate floor.

With federal stimulus funds petering out in June, Florida school districts are cranking up their never-ending campaign for more money. The credulous stenographers at the Miami Herald quoted Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's tired woe-is-us spiel, warning of "draconian cuts" if the state doesn't come up with money to compensate for the impending loss of stimulus dollars.

Former Attorney General Bill McCollum weighed in on Tuesday after a federal judge ruled in favor of the constitutional challenge he launched against the health care law backed by President Barack Obama.

A Florida pastor is calling on Fox Sports to air a "John 3:16" advertisement during the Super Bowl. But the network rejected the ad as wide right. Rev. Mark D. Boykin, senior pastor ofthe Church of All Nations,and the Christian Family Coalition accuse Fox of "discriminating against Christians" by refusing to accept the spot produced by theFixed Point Foundation. The "John 3:16" verse, a New Testament reference, has been part of the culture of football in America for decades. Fans see such signs in the stands and on players' tape and tattoos.

Longtime Republican activist Fred Karger, a veteran of many political campaigns who is considering launching a bid to become the first openly gay presidential candidate in American history, proposed a new constitutional amendment on Tuesday to lower the voting age in a speech made at Dartmouth College in the key primary state of New Hampshire.