Senate President Don Gaetz has generally backed the work of the head of Citizens Property Insurance Corp., hired last June.

But as legislators debate the future of the state-backed agency, and reports of operational bloat come to light, reports that some executives have received pay raises of 12 percent to 24 percent, Gaetz would like Citizens President and CEO Barry Gilway to undergo a formal Senate confirmation.

Citizens has become a very confused organization, Gaetz said during an interview Thursday.

UPDATED: Legislators are making overtures they are moving closer to reversing a 2006 law that allows power companies to charge customer money for nuclear power plants before they are built.

On Thursday, Sens. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, John Legg, R-Lutz, and Wilton Simpson, R-New Port Richey, announced they would take on the utility giants that have been able to bill customers more than $1 billion for plants that may never be built.

The Florida Senate and House of Representatives today released a joint "invitation to negotiate," asking qualified vendors willing to perform a two-part study detailing gaming market information to bid.

Sen. Garrett Richter, R-Naples, said in the announcemet, "The study will be used by the Florida Legislature to better understand the economic, fiscal, and social impacts of possible changes in Floridas gaming environment."

Granting the Division of Public Assistance Fraud with subpoena authority, prohibiting insurance companies from increasing costs on orally administered anti-cancer medication, and expanding the states contract tracking system are among the legislative priorities of Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.

Atwater quietly released his agenda on Thursday for the approaching session that he says is directed to increasing government transparency and helps foster economic prosperity.

The cost of downsizing and consolidating Florida's prison system cost at least $15 million more than expected this year and the Department of Corrections continues to operate in the red, the state's prisons secretary told lawmakers Wednesday.

Deficits related to the closure of two correctional facilities, a controversial push to privatize health service and overtime expenses incurred as a result of consolidation combined to deepen the Department of Corrections deficit to $95.2.million.

This week, retailers from across Florida, led by our partners at the Florida Retail Federation and their president and CEO Rick McAllister, are meeting in Tallahassee to continue the fight to ensure a fair and equitable taxation system that discourages government from determining winners and losers through unfair tax policy.