After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

U.S. Rep Steve Southerland, R-Fla., faces a tough challenge from Democrat Gwen Graham, the daughter of former U.S. Sen. and Gov. Bob Graham, D-Fla., in November and he is going all out to tie her to President Barack Obamas federal health-care law. In Panama City on Wednesday, Southerland announced the support of the Bays Medical Society and Florida Medical Association before turning his fire on Graham.

Gov. Rick Scott announced plans on Thursday to raise education spending to more than $19.6 billion, increasing per-pupil spending to $7,176, which is $232 per student more than last year. The previous record high was $7,126 from 2007-08.

The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce launched a federal PAC -- the Jacksonville Chamber Committee for Good Government -- and endorsed two longtime representatives: Republican Ander Crenshaw and Democrat Corrine Brown. As the Jacksonville Chamber gets more involved in policy issues most notably the economic development project to deepen the St. Johns River to 47 feet it made sense to be more involved at the federal level," said retiring state Rep. Daniel Davis, R-Jacksonville, the president and CEO of the Jacksonville Chamber.

From his seat on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., denounced the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) after reports emerged that members of that terrorist group beheaded journalist James Foley.