The Florida Chamber of Commerce honored 41 Republican lawmakers and three Democrats from among the states 160 legislators for support of the business advocacy groups agenda in the 2012 regular session.

Top honors went to House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, named the 2012 Most Valuable Legislator and Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, given the Chairmans Award, in an announcement released by the chamber on Tuesday.

The MLV is the chambers premier award, honoring a single lawmaker for leadership on free enterprise issues.

A national poll of likely voters released by Rasmussen Reports Tuesday shows that Ron Paul, who is the only major opponent that Mitt Romney faces for the Republican presidential nomination, would be a major factor if he made a third-party presidential bid in 2012.

As he continues his bid for the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack is turning to prominent supporters to introduce him to Florida voters -- while his chief GOP primary rival, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, attempts to characterize him in a new attack ad.

Mack turned to former presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., on Tuesday to reach out to conservatives in the Sunshine State. Bachmann announced last week that she was backing Mack in the Senate race.

An increasing number of Floridians are turning to broadband to access the Internet. But that does not mean they dont care who provides this service, or how new broadband infrastructure is built and paid for.

The "Occupy" movement, which the Obama administration and much of the media have embraced, has implications that reach far beyond the passing sensation it has created.

A group of major players in the Internet cafe industry is challenging an attempt by the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to require the businesses to open up financial records.

Affiliates of the nonprofit Allied Veterans of the World contend in a lawsuit they are not covered by state charity laws that would require them to register with the department and provide financial information.

In her commencement speech Monday night -- final one for a University of South Florida-Polytechnic graduating class -- Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, commended the class for its herculean efforts to halt the forced USF divorce.

The name of Sen. JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, who could be considered the father of the new independent Florida Polytechnic University that will come into life July 1, was not included in Dockerys speech -- a speech that touched heavily on character and leadership.

To the class of 2012, to all 214 of you: we're here to celebrate your academic accomplishments and to wish you well as you leave your campus family.

The governor appears to be biding his time with Florida A&M University.

Gov. Rick Scott said he isnt going to take any action over James H. Ammons, the FAMU president, until he sees how the FAMU board of trustees handles the leadership at the Tallahassee school now that 13 students were charged last week in the hazing death of a member of the famed Marching 100 band.

The board soundly rejected Scotts call for Ammons to be suspended in December while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the death of Robert Champion.