Sen. John Thrasher, R-Jacksonville, cautioned that a last-minute tweak to a couple of Central Florida districts in the redrawn Senate redistricting map could jeopardize the effort when it goes back before the state Supreme Court.

But Senate President-designate Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who also chaired the Reapportionment Committee, said the changes make the districts more compact, which is one of the criteria under the voter-approved Fair Districts amendment that the states top court pointed to when invalidating part of the first map submitted by the Senate.

In the 167 years that Florida has been a state, no major party has nominated someone from it to be on a presidential ticket, but that could change as Republicans get ready to challenge Barack Obama in November.

Some Floridians have come close. Former Sens. Connie Mack and Bob Graham came close to being named to the vice presidential tickets in recent years. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward was considered to be William Jennings Bryans running mate in 1908 while Thomas Brown, the only Whig to ever be governor of Florida, garnered 3 votes for vice president at his partys 1852 convention.

WASHINGTON -- Obamacare dominated the 2010 midterms, driving its Democratic authors to a historic electoral shellacking. But since then, the issue has slipped quietly underground.

The Trayvon Martin shooting case remained one of Florida's top stories Thursday as Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said state and federal investigations into the case should be completed before any consideration is given to setting up a special committee to review the "Stand Your Ground" law.

Hours later, Gov. Rick Scott announced the creation of a task force that will do exactly that.

Republican Reps. John Mica and Sandy Adams -- locked in a battle for Central Florida's 7th Congressional District -- are trading barbs over who's raising the most money and where.

Adams, a freshman from Oviedo, says Mica raised less than 1 percent of his campaign cash from residents of his district.

Mica, a 10-term veteran and chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, counters that Adams relied heavily on out-of-district contributions during her campaigns for the Florida House.

Louisiana, which will have 46 delegates at the Republican convention in Tampa come August, holds its presidential primary on Saturday and Rick Santorum appears to have an impressive lead in the Pelican State.

A Rasmussen Reports poll of likely Louisiana Republican primary voters unveiled Thursday finds Santorum ahead of the pack with 43 percent, while Mitt Romney places second with 31 percent. Newt Gingrich places third with 16 percent and Ron Paul trails with 5 percent. Five percent are undecided and 1 percent back other candidates.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnams first annual report on Floridas energy output and use points to three technologies under development that could radically change Floridas electric energy sector: battery storage, ocean energy, and advances in wind energy.

These technologies are being researched both throughout the United States and within Floridas university system, the report states.

The recent shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by volunteer crime-watcher George Zimmerman in Seminole County has Florida Democrats in a furor, calling for a re-examination or repeal of the states controversial Stand Your Ground statute.