The Florida Bar on Wednesday opened an investigation into U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who sent a tweet accusing Michael Cohen of infidelity as President Donald Trump’s former attorney prepared to testify before Congress.

Gaetz, a Northwest Florida Republican who is an outspoken ally of Trump, said complaints stemming from his tweet Tuesday were “frivolous.” In the tweet, he accused Cohen, who is married, of having multiple “girlfriends.”

Red tide, oil drilling and harmful algal blooms were at the center of the discussion Wednesday at a Florida congressional delegation hearing in Washington, D.C. chaired by GOP Congressman Vern Buchanan and Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings.

On the agenda were some of the most pressing water quality issues currently affecting the Sunshine State.

It was the first meeting of the Florida congressional delegation in 2019. Some 16 congressmen attended -- more than half of the state delegation.

Two Democrats in the Florida House -- state Rep. Michael Grieco of Miami Beach and state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith of Orlando -- introduced a proposal easing restrictions on recreational marijuana use in the Sunshine State. 

Florida’s two Republicans in the U.S. Senate--Marco Rubio and Rick Scott--are helping push a $13.6 billion relief bill to help Americans recovering from Hurricane Michael and other disasters.

The bill contains relief for citrus farmers, military construction projects and VA health centers on the Panhandle which were hit by the hurricane in October. Scott added an amendment to help Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria back in September 2017 with $600 million in nutrition assistance. 

(This is part of a series of stories advancing the 2019 legislative session)

Baby steps.

Florida policymakers readily admit that’s the approach they’ve taken when it comes to dealing with pot, both before and after voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana.

Even a new governor --- and with him, an administration that’s no longer hostile to the concept of cannabis as a cure --- might not change that, at least during the legislative session that begins March 5.

Boosted by support from the Legislature, Florida is showing significant improvement in the overall quality of care at long term care centers, now ranking among the top 10 states in the nation, according to a Quality Care Report issued today by the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA). 

The report shows that Florida is consistently among the strongest performers in terms of both current quality measures and gains made over the last several years, based on federal data on a wide range of standard quality measurements.

Saying the proposal will help boost entrepreneurship and innovation, this week, U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., helped get a bill expanding participation in the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) through the U.S. House. 

On Tuesday, the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC), part of the GOP’s efforts to win state legislative races, unveiled its leadership team for the next election cycle--and some prominent Florida Republicans will be part of it. 

The RLCC, a caucus of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC), is turning to North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger to chair its efforts in 2019. 

The idea of a lower Lake Okeechobee has captured the attention of officials in West Palm Beach and a new activist group who fear the lake will turn into a mud hole and some 1 million people living in coastal Palm Beach County will choke in the next drought.

(This is the first in a series of stories advancing the legislative session)

Florida lawmakers will gather March 5 in the House chamber to hear Gov. Ron DeSantis give his first State of the State address, the traditional start of the 60-day legislative session.

Led by Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, lawmakers this year will deal with myriad issues, ranging from passing a state budget to deciding whether to allow patients to smoke medical marijuana.

Here are 10 big issues to watch during the session: