With Newt Gingrich expected to announce on Wednesday that he is folding up his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Ron Paul stands as the final obstacle in the way of Mitt Romney, and the maverick Texas congressman is looking to make his stand in the two largest electoral prizes on the map -- his own Lone Star State and California.

A start-up nonprofit focused on statewide ethics reform is encouraged that Gov. Rick Scott and Secretary of Commerce Gray Swoope will open Enterprise Florida to more public disclosure when it comes to state contracts and tax dollars.

Integrity Florida gave high marks to the state webpage Transparency Florida, and to public disclosure efforts by Gov. Rick Scott for posting the salaries of state university and college employees online.

Florida elections supervisors can object all they want. The fact is, Gov. Rick Scott's survey and subsequent ranking of the state's 67 elections officials was an act of leadership. And a good one at that.

In a decision that adds fuel to the debate about expanded gambling, the Florida Supreme Court last week upheld a lower-court ruling that says lawmakers can allow slot machines at pari-mutuel facilities in various parts of the state.

Justices declined to take up a challenge to a 1st District Court of Appeal ruling that stems from a plan by Hialeah Park horse track in Miami-Dade County to add potentially lucrative slot machines.

But the lower-court ruling has ramifications outside South Florida, as it would allow lawmakers to authorize slot machines elsewhere.

Gov. Rick Scott and the courts took center stage this week, as the chief executive vetoed a controversial tuition bill while judges struck down a state-employee drug testing plan and approved Senate redistricting maps and a possible expansion of slot machines.

The actions came as Scott approved another flurry of bills, including measures dealing with youth athletes, disabled parking, recycled metals and water storage, as well as a slew of local bills affecting different parts of the state.

SCOTT VETOES TUITION CARTE BLANCHE:

Last week, Barack Obama delivered speeches at universities in Chapel Hill, N.C., Iowa City, Iowa, and Boulder, Colo.

Expressing concerns about mounting student loan debt, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed House Bill 7129, which was crafted to give universities the power to seek higher tuition increases with the goal of building nationally-touted science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs.

WASHINGTON -- It was fun. It was odd. It was just a little bit ... unseemly.