One of the state's most powerful business organizations, Associated Industries of Florida, announced Thursday it has endorsed the former Florida legislator, Republican Mike Hogan, for mayor of Jacksonville.

AIF represents more than 10,000 members of the states business community, and its endorsement of Hogan is significant considering Jacksonville is where AIF was founded 91 years ago -- and where it still has a strong presence.

According to Alexander Burns of Politico, EMILY's List has taken more than a passing interest in at least one Florida race. Here's what he says Wednesday morning in his "Sneak Peek":

Gov. Rick Scott today announced the reappointments of Albert Joerger, H. Paul Senft, and Doug Tharp to the governing board of Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Joerger, 43, of Sarasota, is the founder and president of The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.He is reappointed for a term beginning April 26, 2011, and ending March 1, 2015.

Senft, 71, of Haines City, is a self-employed business and insurance consultant. He is reappointed for a term beginning April 26, 2011, and ending March 1, 2015.

Like Gov. Rick Scott, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rescind its January 2009 determination that numeric nutrient criteria are necessary in Florida.

Putnam wrote a letter Tuesday to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson expressing his support for the petition to that end, submitted Friday by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The petition wants rulemaking authority for nutrients returned to the state.

An aide and fund-raiser for former Congressman Robert Wexler, has been sentenced to a year's probation and fined $3,200 for giving the Internal Revenue Service false information about a $15,000 kickback she received in a real estate deal mixed up in Democrat Wexler's campaign.

Even after the sentencing, the case remains a mystery. It was a joint FBI/IRS money-laundering investigation that led to the criminal charge against Daniella Howard.

The Judicial Nominating Commission for the 1st District Court of Appeal last week submitted seven names to Gov. Rick Scott to consider for filling two vacancies created by the resignations of Judges Charles K. Kahn and Peter D. Webster. The seven are --

Scandalized South Florida Water Management District, largest by far of the state's five water management districts, isn't waiting around for the Legislature to dictate how its $1.1 billion budget should be cut. On Friday it released a plan to slash its 2012 budget by 40 percent -- down to $639.9 million. That cut is actually 10 percent deeper than even Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander called for.

On Friday morning CNN called Pastor Terry Jones "the news gift that keeps on giving," and why not?

The Quran-burning Gainesville pastor accidentally discharged his firearm in a TV station parking lot in Detroit Thursday night. Apparently the shot went into the floor of his car and no one was hurt.

Happily, the FOX-owned WJBK television station where the incident took place has a policy of not allowing guns inside the building, or who knows what might have happened.

Question for Central Florida union members:

Where are you going to keep your money now, folks, under the bed?

Don't look for Tim Pawlenty or Rand Paul or Michele Bachmann. Not there. Not even close.

But Donald Trump? Maybe.

The Donald -- real estate mogul, reality TV celeb, network news interviewee -- could become the first presidential hopeful to place in a Google trends' daily Top 5 on a regular basis.

He just keeps doing things to get searched and clicked.