With the House looking to pull $160 million out of the transportation trust fund to help balance the budget, transportation workers are about to rally at the Capitol to protest this action. With the Senates version not touching those funds, expect to hear support for the Senate budget. The rally begins at 1 p.m.

How many people have you met who have walked a 500-mile trip? Well, if you're at the Old Capitol in Tallahassee around noon today, you might get a chance to meet Lauren Book. She started her walk in Aventura and will finish on the steps of the Old Capitol as part of her effort to raise awareness of sexual abuse.

The House looks set to vote on a plan to reorganize the Florida Department of Health. Introduced by Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, the legislation reduces the Department of Healths mission from 13 to seven responsibilities and would require DOH to propose a new organizational structure, including reduction of divisions and bureaus, to the Legislature by November 2010.

With two weeks left in the session, the House added homeless individuals to the Florida hate crime statues on a vote of 80-28. Sponsored by Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, proponents of the measure said it was needed because of a wave of violence against the homeless in Florida. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, there were 106 attacks on homeless people due to their living conditions, with 30 of those incidents in Florida.

The House and Senate started their negotiations Tuesday morning on the Health Care and Health and Human Services budget. The House proposed adding $111.4 million to the budget than the Senate. The House budget is $28.3 million; the Senate's is $28.2 million. As discussions of changes continue this evening, lawmakers will debate whether to reduce funding of Medicaid reimbursements to pharmacies for prescription drugs, how to overhaul state Medicaid spending and whether to fund or eliminate state Healthy Start Coalitions.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, an event precipitated by one man's delusional hatred of the government. Granted, people like Timothy McVeigh have always been around: ones who mistakenly see cause for concern where there is none; ones who see evil in good; ones who detest the most powerful people because they, themselves, are the least powerful people. But, thank God, 99.999999999 percent of U.S. citizens have absolutely no desire to blow up a building.

Business leaders and researchers held an event in the Capitol on Monday to urge the Legislature to create more jobs in the energy industry. The state of Florida has an opportunity and it comes only one time, said Lynda Weatherman, president and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Floridas Space Coast. Comparing Floridas opportunity to Californias opportunity with high-tech jobs in Silicon Valley and Detroits with automobile manufacturing, she said, This is our chance.

Lawmakers are betting on $115 million of Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) funds to supplement their proposed budgets. Whether to include the funds, which are by no means guarenteed, has been a point of contention between the House and Senate. The Senate worked $880 million in FMAP funds in its proposed budget, but that number appears to have been scaled back. Here are initial FMAP allocation charts for each committee. Pre-K-12 0 Higher Education $25 million

Think social conservatives control the House? Think again. Social conservatives opposed to the Seminole gaming pact are few and far between during debate on the issue. This is not the right message to teach our youth, said Rep. Ronald Doc Renuart, R-Jacksonville who added Las Vegas-style gambling should stay in Vegas. The Gideon of this small army has been Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights, who condemned the measure in harsh terms.

Yet another farewell address on the House floor. This time it comes from Rep. Kurt Kelly, R-Ocala, who thanked his family and staff. Kelly offered some religious themes, calling the work his staff and comrades did a ministry, and citing the Book of Micah. Kelly, who has been in the House since a special election in the summer of 2007, is running in a crowded Republican primary to take on U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.

A surreal moment in the House this afternoon as a Democrat stood in for the Speaker. Rep. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, held the gavel briefly during the Houses debate on Medicaid reform. Earlier in the day, Sachs offered a farewell address, thanking her family and staff for their service. Sachs has only been in the House for four years, rising up to become a deputy whip for the Democrats. She is now running for the state senate seat that Ted Deutch vacated when he was elected to the U.S. Congress.

The House and Senate budget chiefs announced today that they're ready to begin hammering out the state budget. After canceling promised weekend budgeting conferences, Sen. J.D Alexander, R-Lake Wales, and Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, laid out the conference committee schedule and the difficulties of the coming process. The Senate and House have been at odds over whether to work $880 million in federal Medicaid funds into their House and Senate budgets. The House's proposed $67.2 billion budget does not, but word is that might have changed.

As in the Senate races, the House campaigns' Big Five fundraisers are all Republicans: 1. Dean Cannon Jr. District 35 $661,786 2. Will Weatherford District 61 437,946 3. Jose Diaz District 115 228,255 4. Ben Albritton District 66 184,000

I give you the Big Five fundraising leaders among Senate candidates -- Republicans all: 1. Mike Haridopolos District 26 $707,475 2. Jack Latvala District 16 504,259 3. Anitere Flores District 38 487,820 4. Jim Norman District 12 450,560 5. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla District 36 444,835

Jacksonville Port Authority (JPA) Chairman Rick Ferrin is meeting with the Panama Canal Authority this week to sign a memorandum of understanding on marketing and other issues. With more than 600 ships going through the Panama Canal to the First Coast annually, Ferrin is hoping to build better ties so Jacksonville can be more competitive, especially when the Panama Canal is expanded in 2014. Tampa and Savannah already have similiar agreements set up.