Citing his efforts on behalf of legal reform, the Florida Chamber of Commerce has named state Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalaha, its annual "Most Valuable Legislator" in 2013.

Metz received the Chamber's premier legislative award for his ultimately successful three-year effort to get Florida to strengthen its expert witness standards, despite fierce opposition from the state'splaintiff trial lawyer lobby.

More to come ...

As he continues to push immigration reform, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to draw heavy fire from the right.

Gov. Rick Scott has been spending recent days naming Great Floridians and that trend continued on Thursday with the latest honoree being Dr. Charlotte Maguire, a longtime pediatrician who served as assistant secretary of health and scientific affairs in the Nixon administration. Maguire helped create the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services which has become the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to hit the cable talk-show circuit to talk about the immigration reform bill that he is sponsoring in the Senate. On Wednesday night, Rubio appeared on Bill OReillys show on Fox News.

On Thursday, Florida TaxWatch unveiled a briefing on implementing Common Core Standards. Florida TaxWatch promises this briefing, entitled The Importance of Getting It Right, will be the first in a series on the issue.

"The Common Core State Standards are the future of our state's educational system, said Dominic Calabro, the president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch in a statement on Thursday. In order to best serve our students, all of Florida's communities need to support the transformation of teaching and learning in schools."

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill creating an ad valorem tax exemption regarding federal lands and military housing. The Senate bill was sponsored by Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, while the House version was sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to look to amend his immigration reform bill and, on Wednesday, he turned to one of the chambers long serving Republicans for help. U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah teamed with Rubio to offer amendments ensuring newly legalized immigrants will have paid outstanding taxes and prevents them from using tax credits and subsidies related from the federal health-care law for five years after becoming a citizen. The amendments also ensure that unauthorized workers do not receive Social Security benefits.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the first Hispanic woman ever elected to Congress, announced on Wednesday that she would support a bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment. This regiment of soldiers from Puerto Rico, which was popularly known as the Borinqueneers, was one of the most decorated units during the Korean War.

U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., who serves on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, voted to back the Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Appropriations Bill which prevents three Navy ships based in Mayport on the First Coast from being decommissioned.

New Florida House Rep. Mike Hill is being praised by a fellow African-American Republican from the Sunshine State. Former U.S. Rep. Allen West congratulated the new legislator who won a Florida House seat after a special election in the Panhandle on Tuesday.

West took to Twitter and Facebook late on Tuesday to praise Hill.

Congratulations to USAF (ret) Rep. Mike Hill on his very solid victory in the Florida House District 2 special election! West wrote. Exactly the kind of leader this state and country needs.