Florida Republican U.S. Tom Rooney took aim at the federal budget proposed by Barack Obama for FY 2012.

On Monday afternoon, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland ripped into the budget proposed by President Barack Obama.

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation will hold a public hearing Tuesday in Tallahassee to hear State Farm's case for raising homeowners' insurance rates nearly 28 percent and commercial multi-peril residential rates nearly 96 percent.

Gov. Rick Scott named Judge Burton Conner of Fort Pierce to the bench of the 4th District Court of Appeal Monday, replacing Judge Gary Farmer.

Scott praised Judge Conner's demeanor and judicial restraint, saying he won't engage in judicial activism.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio scorched President Barack Obamas $3.73 trillion budget proposal for 2012 in a statement released on Monday morning.

President Barack Obama unveiled his 2012 budget proposal on Monday -- $3.73 trillion in spending for FY 2012, a reduction of just under 2.5 percent of spending in 2011. The budget also continued running up the national debt. The 2011 deficit now stands at an estimated $1.65 trillion, while the 2012 deficit appears to be shaping up around $1.1 trillion. This will mean for four years in a row the federal government will run up deficits of greater than $1 trillion.

Republicans in Florida are already taking aim at the presidents proposed budget.

Noting that license plate registration fees have increased dramatically, even doubling in the last two years, Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, is bringing a bill to the Legislature to lower the costs by having license plates with corporate logos.

"This program would give corporations the ability to utilize a new, low-cost, mass mobile form of marketing that specifically benefits the state of Florida, the business community, and the states' constituents," said Brandes.

A poll from Fox News released on Monday, conducted by Anderson Robbins Research and Shaw & Company Research, found President Barack Obama in solid shape for winning another term in 2012 -- and routing former Gov. Jeb Bush if he were the Republican presidential nominee.

The poll had Obama with 54 percent and Bush with 34 percent. A poll from Fox News taken back in September found it much closer with Obama at 45 percent and Bush at 37 percent.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland took aim at federal regulations on business at the end of last week, arguing that they hurt businesses in the Sunshine State -- including regulations coming from the EPA.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns weighed in on international events on Saturday, praising recent developments in Tunisia and in Egypt.