Anxieties about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have combined with a slow economy to cut June consumer confidence in the state by 3 points compared to last year at this time. A University of Florida survey reports that between this year and last, consumer confidence fell from 70 to 67 points, and perception of personal finances fell from 54 to 45 points. Perceptions of personal finance for the coming year fell from 79 to 75.

John Stemberger, president and general counsel of the Florida Family Policy Council, endorsed Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp for attorney general on Tuesday.

This is the type of hit bong sellers don't want to take. A law that bans the sale of bongs and other smoking devices at some shops takes effect Thursday, and 26 shop owners statewide are suing the state for passing it, media are reporting.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek is going to have to step it up if he wants to get back into the U.S. Senate race. Besides facing a serious challenge from billionaire investor Jeff Greene for the Democratic nomination, Meek now must contend with increasing speculation from the national media that his campaign is floundering badly.

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is using the spotlight to push the attorney managing BP's $20 billion national, independent escrow claims account to make sure claimants in the state get their money faster. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate issued a list of six suggestions to Kenneth Ferinberg, who previously managed the independent account for the families of 9/11 victims.

Politico offered an interesting piece on Tuesday, arguing that the Democrats may be the biggest winner in the Supreme Court decision striking down local gun-control measures. Kasie Hunt argued in the article that Democrats may benefit from having the issue off the table.

With Vice President Joe Biden in Florida on Tuesday to inspect the damage caused by the oil spill in the Gulf, former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the leading Republican candidate running for the U.S. Senate, offered him some advice -- and harsh words for the Obama administration.

Some of the folks who donated money to Charlie Crist the Republican now want Charlie Crist the independent to give it back. And they've filed a lawsuit in Collier County Circuit Court to show they mean business. The Naples Daily News reported Monday that the plaintiffs are former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas John Rood and Linda Morton of Naples. Rood donated the maximum, according to the newspaper, $4,800; Morton, $500. But both are looking to move the case to class-action status so other disgruntled donors can join in.

Florida TaxWatch is looking to cut an additional $5 billion in state spending. The Tallahassee-based tax watchdog was instrumental in guiding more than $2 billion in budget reductions at the 2010 Legislature. Now TaxWatch president and CEO Dominic Calabro says it's time for round two. The process begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, with politicians from both sides of the aisle participating in the brainstorming. But putting together a list of budget cuts isn't enough.

A day after Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, called on Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, to resign from Akerman Senterfitt, a law firmed hired by BP to handle claims due to the spill in the Gulf, the Gelber campaign said that their candidate did so last week, and fired away at Aronberg -- a rare moment of acrimony in what has been a civil contest so far.

The Florida Medical Association's endorsement list of legislative candidates was a compendium of the status quo. Where incumbents were running, the FMA backed every one -- except one. Rep. MichelleRehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee, was the lone incumbent failing to get the FMA's support in the upcoming primary. FMA would not specify why the first-term lawmaker was singled out, except to say that endorsement decisions were made by local physicians based on each candidate's record on "pro-patient, pro-medicine issues."

While the primary battle for the Democratic nomination for attorney general has been a close contest, unlike the spat fornomination for the U.S. Senate seat it has generally been a civil affair between Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, and Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres. It looked for a moment as if things were about to change. BP hired Akerman Senterfitt to handle the legal mess resulting from claims due to the spill in the Gulf. Aronberg demanded Gelber resign from Akerman Senterfitt -- which he did last week.

Republican congressional candidate state Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, signed the No Climate Tax pledge being sponsored by Americans for Prosperity. In the pledge, politicians promise not to raise or create new taxes to fight climate change.

While the Tea Party movement is energizing Republican candidates around the nation, Florida is proving to be a different story. An intramural squabble between the Florida TEA Party and GOP-backed Tea organizations is splitting conservatives, confounding voters and, potentially, working to Democrats' advantage. The bickering has resulted in lawsuits, calls for resignations and charges of "black ops" on the campaign trail. Watch for Sunshine State News' upcoming story on this tempest embroiling Florida's Tea Parties.

With the Supreme Court of the United States striking down local gun-control laws on Monday, former House Speaker and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio offered praise on the ruling and urged the Senate to carefully examine Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagans background.