A plan to break up the state Department of Management Services is being called a "rational reorganization" or, in less glowing terms, "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic."

Senate Bill 1238 would disperse the 1,266-employee DMS by shifting many of its functions into the Department of Financial Services, while creating a new Agency for Asset Management to be housed temporarily under the Department of Environmental Protection.

Republican leaders in both House and Senate set the table for conservative legislation due to come to a votewhen both convene Thursday.

The House pushed through the following:

ameasure capping legal fees for private attorneys representing the state Attorney Generals Office;

legislation moving the burden of proof from retailers to injured plaintiffs in slip-and-fall cases;

a bill restoring affiliated political-committee funds; and,

A change to a statewide school prayer proposal may ease the way for its passage after years of floundering, though civil liberties groups continue to oppose it.

Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheanna, and Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, are the sponsors of bills (HB 31, SB 1580) that would permit students to give inspirational messages, including a prayer or an invocation during certain school events. .

State senators voted Tuesday to make Florida the 20th state to demand a balanced federal budget and limited federal restrictions on state spending, despite Democrats complaints that such a measure could limit federal aid to the states.

Attorney General Bill McCollum declared Tuesday there is "no benefit" to the federal health care legislation supported by the Obama administration and invited attorneys general from around the nation to join him in preparing to challenge the policy on constitutional grounds.

There is no benefit to this bill, McCollum said of the pending health care reform. I cant conceive of any.

WASHINGTON -- As Democrats consider shoving health care reform through the House with a process known as "deem and pass," it is helpful to return to square one and ask: What, again, is the rush?

A year ago, when reform work got under way, Democrats were hell-bent on passing legislation before year's end. Because? There was no way, Democrats believed, that they could accomplish such sweeping reform in an election year.

Less than three weeks into his new job, Interim Director of Florida Emergency Management David Halstead faced a make or break situation.

A program that allows corporations to get a tax credit for contributing money for scholarship programs could soon get a boost in funding.