March 8, 2011 - 6:00pm

Stressing his agenda of reforming Medicaid and the state pension system, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, showed in his legislative opening address that he has far more in common with Gov. Rick Scott's objectives than he has disagreement.
He did, however, make a point of heaping skepticism on Scott's plan to cut taxes.
Haridopolos remarked that the state faces a $3.6 billion budget deficit. But his words fell on deaf ears, because although Scott attended the opening of the session in the Senate chambers, he left before Haridopolos' speech began.