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

The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its investigation, without filing charges, against U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, the congressmans attorney has announced. As we stated from the beginning, any fair-minded inquiry into these allegations would establish that Congressman Buchanan never engaged in wrongdoing, Robert Luskin, an attorney withPatton Boggs, stated in a release.

At approximately 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, attorney Tom Brooks, who is representing theAmerican Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), said in a press conference that Florida's privatization of its prison health services "will be challenged" in court should the state's Joint Legislative Budget Commission (JLBC) approve the proposal by the Department of Corrections later this week. He said their challenge would be filed "promptly." The conference call also featured state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, andDoug Martin, legislative director of AFSCME Florida

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Curtis L. Disque, of Jupiter, to the Martin County Court. Disque, 47, has been general magistrate of the 19th Judicial Circuit since 2011. Curtis brings to the bench a distinguished and varied background as an attorney, Scott stated in a release. As a general magistrate, he has a reputation for diligence, fairness, and courteousness. I am confident that the people of Martin County will be well served by this appointment.

Gov. Rick Scott is sporting a pair of small adhesive bandages on his forehead he says was from some pre-skin cancer treatment that has started to bruise. Scott joked with reporters outside the Capitol on Monday that he won a fight, before adding, but that wasnt true. It was not immediately available what degree of malignancy Scott was treated for or when he was diagnosed.