Democrats in the state Senate on Thursday filed the first legislation arising out of concerns over voting difficulties, seeking to expand early voting times and the places where early voting can occur.

The measures would also eliminate a requirement that people who have moved into a community from outside the county vote a provisional ballot on Election Day if they hadn't earlier changed their legal address.

The bills (SB 80, SB 82) were filed by Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, and Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami.

"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another ..."

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Destin, is reviewing a report published Tuesday by a pair of public policy think tanks on public ethics reforms at the county level, and his office says counties certainly have a role to play in formulating the Legislature's upcoming ethics reform agenda.

WASHINGTON -- With a chip on his shoulder larger than his margin of victory, Barack Obama is approaching his second term by replicating the mistake of his first.