While our reporter and videographer Lane Wright attempted to interview a teacher, a woman swooped in and whispered in the teacher's ear. Teacher: OK. Reporter: I'm sorry, was that anything to do with this interview? Voice off camera: Yep. Reporter: Was she coaching you on what to say? Teacher: (Laughs).

Republicans in the House plan to continue the push against the new federal health-care laws that President Barack Obama signed into law last month. They just did not want to do it on Monday night. The House Rules Policy Council met on Monday night, after a marathon 8 hour session of the House Education Policy Committee. They were supposed to tackle a resolution that would take the healthcare issue to the ballot in November, giving Floridians a chance to amend the constitution in light of the new federal laws.

Lee County commissioners are meeting today to consider borrowing $146 million to pay for the Boston Red Sox's new spring training facility. The BoSox, a big draw in Florida's Grapefruit League, have trained at Fort Myers' City of Palms Park since 1993. They're scheduled to move into their new stadium on Daniels Parkway in 2012. The county has pledged to fund the $75 million facility -- the only question is how to finance the deal. The latest idea is to bond the project and pay it back with Tourist Development Tax revenues over 30 years.

After outraising Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, in the last quarter of 2009, there were whispers that Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, was the new frontrunner in the attorney general race. Aronberg outraised Gelber by $50,000 in the last quarter of 2009.

It says what it means, this ad: more money for teachers whose students learned by year's end. That's performance pay. And isn't effective teaching what we all want in Florida classrooms? SB 6 has bugs, no question, but its premise is right on. Have a look ...

Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday requested that the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida conduct a "full, independent investigation" of allegations that former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer misappropriated party funds. The governor's written request to U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirwin cited potential federal implications in the matter, including unidentified Internal Revenue Service issues. Kirwin's spokeswoman, Kelli Daugherty, said she had seen Crist's request, but said the office would not comment on the status of any investigation.

Hundreds of teachers turned out Monday afternoon to testify against education reform. Among the throng was Florida Association of School Boards director Wayne Blanton. Before the doors opened to Webster Hall in the Capitol's Knott building, amid a crush of prospective protesters, Blanton was getting warmed up. "I'm not sure you can implement (the bill). You can't even fix it, it's so bad," he told Sunshine State News.

As a field of prominent Republicans continue to ponder entering the race for the seat that U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is giving up, one of the candidates who plunged in early, Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, is off to a fast start. Rivera is announcing that he reeled in $700,000 in the first quarter of 2010. This is even more impressive considering Rivera has been in the race for a little over a month, initially had been planning to run for state senate and has his hands full in Tallahassee with the budget.

The Florida Education Association, the state teachers union, complains the Florida House "is holding the final public hearing" of a controversial education bill in the middle of spring break ... "when they hope (teachers) are not watching or listening." Wah, wah, wah.

Gubernatorial candidate Paula Dockery is trying to convince people she's a true conservative despite the fact (or perhaps because of the fact) that she's been siding with more liberal viewpoints and organizations. For example, Friday afternoon Paula Dockery released an op-ed saying why she's siding with the state's largest teachers union and voted against a bill that would determine a teacher's salary based on performance. She calls SB 6 an unaffordable "power grab" that will "destroy jobs" and eliminate individual responsibility.

File this one under Things You Didn't Expect: St. Petersburg Times bigwig Paul Tash is a registered Republican. On top of that, the Times CEO now sits on the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee, which is designed to lure the 2012 Republican National Convention to the Bay Area. Take a moment to recover from your shock.

What did Gov. Charlie Crist know about Jim Greers alleged shenanigans and when did he know it? And shouldnt the media be looking just as deeply into the fundraising and expenditure records of the Florida Democratic Party? (read more)

Looks like it was a one-two punch for Florida teacher Shawn Beightol.

At the urging of Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, Gov. Charlie Crist said Friday he "believes" that the investigation of former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer should go to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The Greer affair was put in the hands of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement by Attorney General Bill McCollum this week.

Martin County Sheriff Robert Crowder is fed up with state Sen. Joe Negron, R-Palm City, and he's considering running against him in the next election, according to The Stuart News. The challenge from Crowder, a Republican, comes amid passionate dissent from the Republican-dominated Treasure Coast to Negron's SB 1216. The bill calls for voters to decide every six years whether to close, continue or make cuts to one of the state's eight Children's Services Councils.