With the Legislature going into special session next week to consider backing a constitutional amendment to ban oil drilling in state waters, Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, is now ready for a second one to be held at the end of summer.

Holly Benson, who is running in the Republican primary for the attorney general nomination, offered strong words of support for Attorney General Bill McCollum for joining Arizona to defend that states new immigration laws from a lawsuit backed by the Obama White House.

On Thursday, labor leaders called on Gov. Charlie Crist and the leadership of both houses to expand the focus of the special session to change state statues so unemployed Floridians will be able to receive extended unemployment benefits.

Staff from former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the favorite to win the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate race, went after Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running in the race as an independent, for calling a special session of the Legislature next week.

Money keeps flowing into the race to take the congressional seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart. Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, announced on Thursday that his campaign raised more than $500,000 in the second quarter.

Locked in a tight battle with Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres for the Democratic attorney general nomination, Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach received some important support on Thursday morning when the Broward Teachers Union and the United Teachers of Dade announced they were backing his campaign.

The Black Legislative Caucus is cheering Gov. Charlie Crist appointing two African-Americans to the PSC--Rep. Ron Brise, D-North Miami, and Republican City Councilman Art Graham of Jacksonville. Representative Brise and Councilman Graham are both highly qualified and equipped appointees who we feel are fully capable of advocating for the interests of Floridians, said Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, chairman of the caucus.

U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, wants to put a real lockbox on Social Security benefits and help seniors keep more of what's theirs. Introducing the Senior Citizens Income Security Act of 2010, Posey said he seeks to "restore some of the original promises that were made years ago through Social Security." His House Resolution 5725:

Bill McCollums gubernatorial campaign team is cheering a decision today from a judge in Tallahassee to uphold state campaign laws, rejecting a legal challenge from Rick Scott who is leading McCollum in the battle for the Republican nomination.

With immigration ranking as one of the leading issues in the bitter battle for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Attorney General Bill McCollum announced on Wednesday that Florida would join eight other states and file an amicus brief, defending Arizonas new immigration law from a legal challenge from the Obama administration.

A judge in Tallahassee denied gubernatorial candidate Rick Scotts injunction, looking to deny Attorney General Bill McCollum -- Scotts main rival for the Republican nomination -- access to public funds for his campaign. Arguing that the measure was an impediment to his free speech, Scott attempted to change campaign finance laws which give traditional candidates matching funds if a self-financed candidate, like Scott, spends over $24.9 million from his own fortune in the race.

The Florida Democratic Party is using a meeting in Miami on Friday about health-care fraud to take aim at Rick Scott, the front-runner for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

In what is becoming a daily occurrence with less than six weeks to go before the primary election, elbows are being thrown in the battle for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. On Wednesday afternoon, Matt Williams, the campaign manager for Attorney General Bill McCollum, went after GOP front-runner Rick Scott for comments he made on Tuesday night. Williams attacked Scott on abortion, immigration, the stimulus just about everything, actually.

Hoping to capitalize on increased confidence in the economy and a pool of labor in a critical location, international online travel agency Webjet.com is expandinga new Tampa marketing office that will create as many as 25 jobs by the end of the year. The Australia-based group's first U.S. branch, which opened earlier this year, will house the online company's marketing and customer service office .

While Gov. Charlie Crist made a play for pro-choice support with his veto of a measure requiring women in Florida considering having an abortion to have an ultrasound in the first trimester, the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates endorsed one of his rivals in the U.S. Senate race -- U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek who is battling Jeff Greene for the Democratic nomination.