Seeking more teeth to enforce its fines, the Florida Commission on Ethics wants state legislators to make things a little harder and potentially more expensive on themselves and other elected officials.

But they are starting an investigation on their own, instead of waiting for a citizen to file a complaint, so it will remain a secondary issue.

The commission, admitting it hasn't had the most success in past legislative sessions, will continue to seek more power to enforce its fine and boost how much it can fine politicians.

A decision by the Obama administration that it would no longer seek the deportation of most young illegal immigrants has set off the expected signs of support from his party members in Florida.

Meanwhile, Republicans from the Sunshine State are equally outraged that Obama, who they have long decried as soft on immigration, would again implement an executive order without congressional approval.

With as many as 182,000 noncitizens on Florida's voting rolls -- no one knows for certain -- U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney is calling out the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to provide the state with the tools it needs to identify illegal voters.

Mainstream media reports parroting the Obama administration and Democratic Party operatives persist in branding the state's efforts as a "voter purge."

"That's absolute hogwash," said Rooney spokesman Michael Mahaffey.

With Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, ending his bid for re-election earlier in the week, House Speaker Pro Tempore John Legg, R-New Port Richey, has been attracting endorsements from the GOP leadership as he seeks to represent parts of Pasco and Hillsborough counties in the Senate. But two primary rivals insist they will continue their own campaigns.

With charges about ethics violations continuing to circle him, Norman bowed out of the race on Tuesday after filing his paperwork last week indicating that he would seek another term.

The governor can make his proposed recording to welcome and ask people to come back to Tampa International Airport without fear of crossing state ethics rules.

A recorded greeting from the governor for shuttle bus riders at Tampa International Airport is a political gift, but not prohibited because the value doesnt exceed the $100 threshold that must be reported, the counsel for the state ethics commission ruled Friday.

Florida continued to see its monthly unemployment number drop, falling by 0.01 percent to 8.6 percent between April and May, the Department of Economic Opportunity reported on Friday.

The new numbers also put Florida below 800,000 jobless citizens for the first time since January 2009.

Gov. Rick Scottcredited his efforts to cut taxes, reduce regulations and attract out-of-state businesses to Florida for the continued downward trend.

Gov. Rick Scott, who said while campaigning for governor that he would require employers to use the federal E-Verify system to check immigration status, now acknowledges that requiring the agriculture industry to use it would put growers at a disadvantage.

Scott said this week while addressing a gathering of the state's largest citrus growers group, Florida Citrus Mutual, that he wouldn't support any effort to require use of the system in the upcoming legislative year. Lawmakers have considered requiring its use, but failed to pass legislation the last two years.

"History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes," said Mark Twain.

Despite jumping in the primary seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November in recent weeks, former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon garnered the support of a major conservative organization on Thursday -- while U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the front-runner for the GOP nod, continues to build his organization.