Florida TaxWatch released a report on Thursday calling for reforms to the prison system in the Sunshine State.

"It is clear that tough-on-crime policies are not working for Florida, as our state's crime rate is still 15 percent higher than the national average, even while crime rates across the nation continue to fall," said Robert Weissert, Florida TaxWatchs senior VP of research, on Thursday.

Florida TaxWatch recommended keeping some nonviolent felons out of prisions through electric monitoring and other solutions.

Move over Gators, Seminoles, Knights, Hurricanes, Ospreys, Hatters. Here comes the Phoenix.

Florida Polytechnic University has a mascot with students choosing the phoenix to represent the Sunshine States newest university.

Former Florida House Majority Leader Steve Precourt joined the board of the Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition, a conservative group. President and Chairman Jim Kallinger announced the addition of former State Rep. Steve Precourt to the Coalitions board. First elected to the House in 2006, Precourt served until he faced term limits last year.

Gov. Rick Scott said on Wednesday that lifting the embargo with Cuba will hurt Florida agriculture.

Americans for Prosperitys (AFP) Florida chapter released a new radio ad on Wednesday, urging the Florida Legislature to reject Medicaid expansion. Currently, the Florida Senate supports Medicaid expansion while Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida House stand against it.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., is calling for major reforms to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) after two screeners were fired from their posts at the Denver International Airport after groping passengers.

Rooney took to the House floor on Tuesday afternoon to showcase his Stopping TSA Abuses Act and explain its purpose.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., released a Web video on Wednesday as he continues his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Rubio is trying to portray himself as the voice of younger Americans, a theme he played in the new video as he responds to top Google searches about him.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schult, a breast cancer survivor, weighed in on Tuesday after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that not all women in their 40s needed annual mammograms. Wasserman Schultz released the following statement on Tuesday:

From his perch on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., showcased the shameful shortcomings of the mental health hotline run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and wants the administration to investigate.

Sending a letter to U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald on Tuesday. Nelson pointed to reports of an Air Force veteran who called the suicide prevention hotline based at a VA center in Tampa in which the veteran was put on hold and called for an investigation.

A familiar face returned to the Florida House on Wednesday morning as Tampa Republican James Grant was scheduled to be sworn in. Grant easily won a special election on Tuesday and is now back in the House.

After a short time away, the House of Representatives welcomes Rep. Grant back to the Florida House, said Florida House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island. With Rep.Grants return, our Republican majority is complete with 81 members.