Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is taking aim at the Obama administration, sending letters to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson this week. Bilirakis asked about two ATF operations which the congressman maintains are sending firearms to criminal organizations. Bilirakis noted that a Border Patrol agent was killed by weapons traced to one of the projects while the other was sending weapons to MS-13, a gang based in Honduras ...

A proposed purchase of a natural gas conveyor could affect service to Central Florida and run afoul of antitrust regulations, Sunshine State News has learned.

The Williams Cos. is bidding to acquire Southern Union Co. Each firm owns natural-gas pipelines that serve Central Florida. If successful, Williams would have monopoly ownership of both pipes, reviving antitrust issues that were addressed in 2001.

Southern Union on Tuesday announced it would begin merger talks with Williams. Williams bid $39 a share for Southern on June 28.

From his perch on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw looked to reduce the size and scope of the federal government this week by trimming some fat from Congress itself.

Crenshaw, a former president of the Florida Senate who has represented parts of the First Coast and the northern part of the state since first being elected to Congress back in 2000, used his position as chairman of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee to cut congressional expenses.

Last year, Floridas Agency for Workforce Innovation projected that Florida would gain 1.1 million jobs by 2017. It was noted that most of the projected job gains would simply be recouping the jobs lost from 2006 to 2009.

Pointing to a long-running fight in Florida, the U.S. House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would restrict the Environmental Protection Agencys power to require tougher water-quality standards.

U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., was a key sponsor of the measure, which passed 239-184. Mica and other supporters said the EPA has overstepped its authority in Clean Water Act disputes with states.

EPA has indeed created a regulatory nightmare that affects almost every state in the union, Mica said during a floor debate.

Budget belt-tightening and frugality has prompted rating agency Standard & Poors to boost its Florida credit outlook from negative to stable, an upgrade that will translate into more favorable interest rates.

The rating agency touted recent legislative actions to both reduce spending and hold some revenue back for a rainier day.