Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts announced on Monday that he was forming a presidential exploratory committee. Romney, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and is one of the leaders of most of the polls, made his announcement in a web video in which he focuses on the economy.

Is Sarah Palin done?

Over at Salon, Steve Kornacki argues that national conservative pundits have turned against her and this is turning off Republican voters from backing her for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.

On Monday, Gov. Rick Scott announced that BP was sending a $30 million grant to the Northwest Florida Tourism Council (NWFTC) to help promote tourism in that region which was hard hit by the Gulf oil spill last year.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, who is running in the 2012 Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, announced on Monday that he was sponsoring a measure in the Legislature calling for a federal constitutional convention to place an amendment requiring the federal government to balance the budget.

These are critical times for our country, said Haridopolois. The federal government is $14 trillion in debt and leaders in Congress needed the threat of a government shutdown before making a modest reduction in the countrys deficit.

A poll released on Monday by Mason-Dixon Polling and Ron Sachs Communications revealed that President Barack Obama was facing serious challenges in his efforts to win Florida in his 2012 re-election bid.

Gov. Rick Scott has sent out an executive order increasing the ability of his Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform to review regulations involving agencies under the governor's office.

Scott created the OFARR in an earlier executive order upon being sworn into office. Since that time, the office has reviewed 11,000 rules and regulations and has recommended 1,000 for repeal.

Overcoming a bid dispute that left it in limbo and political wrangling that left its very existence in doubt, Florida's prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) is poised to be up and running.

Viewpoint Florida unveiled a new poll on Friday looking at how Floridians view the issue of abortion.

The poll found a majority of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- considered themselves pro-choice while 39 percent labeled themselves pro-life. The poll found no gender gap on the issue, with 55 percent of both men and women considering themselves pro-choice.

Gov. Rick Scott addressed the House Select Committee on Government Reorganization on Fridayas the Legislature continued to shape the proposed Department of Economic Opportunity.

I want to thank you for taking economic development seriously, said Scott.

The bill you will vote on today will provide us the framework we need, said Scott, who argued that the proposed department would provide more flexibility, reduce the duplication of efforts and place work force development and economic development under one umbrella.

As part of its budget discussions Thursday, the Florida Senate passed a measure that would end the discount for users of the state's SunPass system, which allows drivers to breeze through tolls with an electronic pass. Senate President Mike Haridopolos killed that idea Friday, saying he would reinstate the discount, which proponents say would net the state $100 million.

But for Haridopolos, who has repeatedly stated his intention not to increase taxes in the face of a $3.8 billion budget shortfall, the measure came too close to a tax hike.