Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced Monday the state’s Domestic Marijuana Eradication Program resulted in the discovery of more than 328 indoor and outdoor grow sites, the destruction of 18,505 marijuana plants and the arrest of 279 people last year. The estimated street value of the seized marijuana is more $55.6 million.

In a surprise move Wednesday afternoon, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater issued a statement defending outgoing Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty's offer to stay on for 45 days until the Cabinet could choose his successor -- an offer the governor rejected outright during Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.
 

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced Wednesday  the recipients of the 2016 Agricultural Environmental Leadership Award, which recognizes agricultural producers who are practicing environmentally innovative farming techniques. This year’s recipients are Alliance Dairies of Trenton, Cherry Lake Tree Farm of Groveland and Jones Potato Farm of Parrish.

Conservative Palm Bay businessman Randy Fine announced three endorsements for his campaign for state House District 53 Tuesday -- Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc., Brevard County Professional Firefighters, Local 2969, and the Florida Puerto Rican/Hispanic Minority Empowerment Committee.   
 
Fine, who already has the endorsement of the Space Coast Association of Realtors, is running for the South Brevard seat being vacated by term-limited Republican Rep. John Tobia.   
 

Florida Congressman David Jolly, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, appeared on CBS’ "60 Minutes" Sunday night, calling the practice of U.S. representatives dialing for dollars “shameful.”
 
The "60 Minutes" story highlighted the amount of time members spend on the phone instead of doing the job they were elected to do. 
 
You can watch the story by clicking here.
 

Congressman Alan Grayson, a candidate in the Florida Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, introduced the Employee Free Choice Act of 2016 (HR 5000) Wednesday, making it easier for workers who want a union to form or join one, and making it harder for employers to stop them. Under the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), if a majority of workers in a workplace sign cards authorizing a union, they get a union.  HR 5000 also stiffens penalties against employers who break the law, and provides for mediation and binding arbitration when parties are unable to agree on a first contract.
 

Former Congressman Joe Garcia, challenging Annette Taddeo in the CD 26 Democratic primary, has posted impressive fundraising numbers, bringing his total more than $325,000 in just weeks.

Garcia, the only Democrat to represent the district in Congress and a former White House adviser to President Obama, announced his candidacy to regain his congressional seat in February. He said he was gratified and encouraged, having immediately received widespread support from the South Florida community. 

Lawmakers do a lot of fretting over the cost of college in Florida. Maybe they should apply the same angst to the cost of sending kids to full-time day care or preschool.

A story in the Wall Street Journal claims that in 23 states, nearly half the country, it’s now more expensive to educate a 4-year-old in preschool than an 18-year-old in college. And guess which southern state -- (hint, hint, it's the third largest in the nation) -- records the largest disparity?

John LeBoutillier, a former Republican congressman from New York and the co-host of "Political Insiders" on Fox News Channel, has one of the best records in the nation as a political prognosticator.

And LeBoutillier predicts Cruz is going to win Wisconsin. But he doesn't stop there.

Here's what he said Tuesday in The Hill newspaper:

Florida business groups applaud the Legislature for passing House Joint Resolution 193 and Senate Bill 172 Wednesday. These bills will allow voters to decide on the August primary ballot whether businesses should get the same tax fairness as residential properties for solar energy.

If approved by voters, the initiative would move Florida closer to eliminating a significant tax barrier that is currently preventing many Florida businesses and other energy consumers from investing in solar.