The Florida Supreme Court has upheld the Florida Legislatures controversial pension reforms of 2011, saying they do not violate public employees contract rights, do not constitute an unlawful act of eminent domain, and do not violate employees rights to collectively bargain.

Gov. Rick Scott is backing county elections supervisors who have recently asked legislators to provide more flexibility in early voting locations, reducing the words allowed by lawmakers for constitutional amendments and expanding the number of days for early voting.

Scott released a statement with his recommendations after meeting with Secretary of State Ken Detzner, who is expected to complete a review of the 2012 election and make his own recommendations for improving the voting process in Florida by Feb. 1.

Increased premiums, creating a clearing house for private firms to cherry pick accounts, or breaking up Citizens Property Insurance Corp. into more manageable pieces are among proposals being tossed about in the Senate to reduce the Florida-backed insurer and attract more private firms into Florida.

The federal Affordable Care Act is expected to add tens of millions of dollars in costs to Florida's state-employee health insurance program, leading some lawmakers to float the possibility of shifting more expenses to workers or tinkering with benefits.

"We certainly still have budget problems in the state of Florida,'' Rep. John Wood, R-Winter Haven, said Wednesday as a House select committee heard a presentation about the issue. "We have a lot of competition for our revenue."

To judge from his surly demeanor and defiant words at his press conference on Monday, Barack Obama begins his second term with a strategy to defeat and humiliate Republicans rather than a strategy to govern.

The 14-member Florida House Criminal Justice Subcommittee approved, by a unanimous vote Wednesday morning, a bill that revises the 2011 "Massage Practice Act," in an effort to combat human trafficking. Its sponsors are optimistic it will pick up similar traction in the Senate.

Options for both initial and continuing education have expanded rapidly in the 21st century.