Republican lawmakers can say they were correct to focus on the new boundary lines just around the eight Senate districts initially declared unconstitutional.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Senates second attempt to redraw its political boundary lines is valid.

The decision means lawmakers with an eye on 2012 Senate contests can begin to crank their campaigns into gear. If the court had rejected the map, the justices would have overseen the drawing of new lines before the candidate-qualifying period in June.

Dont expect an overhaul of the task force looking at state self-defense laws. Anti-gun proponents are not going to replace those already named to the diverse panel on the eve of the groups first meeting.

Gov. Rick Scott said the selection of people to the statewide group was a no-win situation, as he anticipated that no matter who was appointed to the 19-member Citizens Safety and Protection Task Force, there surely would be a backlash.

Gov. Rick Scott said he is still reviewing a bill that many anti-Castro Miamians support but that the Florida Chamber of Commerce says could harm economic growth in Florida.

Scott, speaking Thursday on South Florida Spanish-language station 1020 AM, said he will be briefed on the impact of House Bill 959 before the May 5 deadline to sign, veto or allow the bill to become law without his signature.

The governor says he will appeal a federal ruling that declared it is unconstitutional to randomly test people on the state payroll for drug use.

Gov. Rick Scott, whose executive order was under question, noted the ruling does not include new hires and he will contest the decision by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro in Miami.

Ungaro, in a 37-page order signed Wednesday, declared Scotts executive order from March 2011 calling for the random drug testing of state workers a violation of employees' Fourth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Environmentalists who had blocked the dredging of the Port of Miami channel down to 52 feet making it one of the deepest ports on the East Coast -- have withdrawn their opposition to the two-year project.

An agreement, which still needs approval from the Miami-Dade County Commission, means the Port of Miami may move forward with the $220 million state and county project -- the state is putting up $122 million -- aimed at making the port more attractive to the growing marine trade, as well as the massive Panamax ships using the expanded Panama Canal.

Florida's long-running fight about water-quality standards for rivers, lakes and springs could be headed toward a federal appeals court in Atlanta.

Groups on both sides of the fight have given formal notice they could appeal a federal judge's ruling about what are known as "numeric-nutrient criteria" -- an issue that has drawn widespread attention from state policymakers, local governments, business lobbies and environmentalists.

Imagine a business thriving in todays economy that does not have to follow the same rules and regulations as similar businesses like it must. While you might think that once exposed, the business would be shut down or be reprimanded, however that is not the case for roll-your-own cigarette manufacturers who are running operations throughout the state and country.

Two drafts have been prepared for the governor on the future of tuition hikes at Florida universities.

One backs up his veto of House Bill 7129, which was crafted to give universities -- primarily the University of Florida and Florida State University -- the power to seek unlimited tuition increases from their board of trustees and the state Board of Governors.

The second letter supports the pre-eminent university bill that university leaders said is needed to help improve the national standing of Floridas top schools.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is standing firmly behind Arizona as the state heads to the U.S. Supreme Court over its controversial immigration law.

Bondi told reporters Tuesday after the Florida Cabinet meeting that her position is a defense of states rights.

Gov.ernor Jan Brewer shouldnt have to be dealing with that in Arizona. The federal authorities should be dealing with that, but theyre not, Bondi said. And theyre not protecting her borders. And thats when she came in and had to do something in her state to protect her borders.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who spent $72 million of his own money winning in 2010, says whoever's thinking about taking him on in two years should know one thing: Money won't be a problem for his campaign, even if he's not planning to personally fund it again.

Asked Tuesday how much the 2014 race is likely to cost, Scott told reporters in his Capitol office: I dont know what it will cost, but well have the money to win.