Newly inaugurated Florida Republican U.S. Rep. David Rivera weighed in on Wednesday on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti.

Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, filed a bill Thursday that would prohibit doctors, physicians or medical providers from asking patients if they own or have access to firearms.

An identical bill was filed in the House on Wednesday by Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, which would make doctors' inquiries of gun ownership by patients a felony punishable by a $5 million fine or up to five years in jail.

Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, filed a bill Wednesday aimed at loosening regulations on firearms and ammunition.

The bill, SB 402, would prohibit counties from developing ordinances requiring a waiting period for delivery of handguns and restricts state officials from regulating firearms except as prescribed by law.

The issue of gun control reentered the national debate this weekend after a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday left six dead and more than a dozen injured, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., named Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan to the Trade and Oversight subcommittees under the umbrella of the full Ways and Means Committee.

I am honored by the opportunity to serve on such important subcommittees, said Buchanan. Through these subcommittees I will work to ensure that Southwest Floridas needs are addressed."

Buchanan vowed in his new position to fight for free-trade agreements, maintaining that these measures would lead to new jobs in the Sunshine State.

According to a report released Thursday by Realty Trac, a California-based company that tracks foreclosed properties, 2010 set a record for foreclosure activity in the United States, with more than 3.8 million foreclosure filings on more than 2.8 million properties -- an increase of 2 percent over 2009 and 23 percent over 2008.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, is open to ideas for tax cuts coming from Gov. Rick Scott, but doesn't plan on pushing for any himself.

Haridopolos frequently referenced the state's $3.5 billion budget shortfall Wednesday in calling for spending cuts in Medicaid, education and other areas, and said that any tax cut proposals from Gov. Scott should come with offsetting cuts in spending. Gov. Scott's budget proposal will be released next month.

Citing concerns over the state's $3.5 billion budget deficit,Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, stated Wednesday that he does not support using state funds for Florida's high-speed rail project, which would connect Tampa to Orlando.

"It's something the people would like to have, it's just something we can't afford using state dollars," Haridopolos said.

Businessman Herman Cain, who ran for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Georgia back in 2004, announced on Wednesday that he was forming an exploratory committee to look at running for the GOPs presidential nomination in 2012.

Cain, who was the president and CEO of Godfathers Pizza and National Restaurant Association, has been a favorite of the tea party movement, speaking at numerous events during the 2010 election cycle, including one in Clay County back in October. He currently hosts a talk-radio show out of Atlanta.

At the end of December, in his final days as governor, Charlie Crist sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking that 35 of the states 67 counties be included in a USDA Secretarial Emergency Declaration.Floridians whose crops or livestock were impacted by the weather could be eligible for various programs, including loans, through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other federal agencies if Vilsack makes such a declaration.

The future of high-speed rail in Florida is increasingly appearing to be one of the leading issues in the Sunshine State in 2011 as Barney Bishop, the president and CEO of the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), doubled down his organizations support of rail projects.

On Wednesday, Bishop announced AIF would be leading a new coalition to back high-speed rail.