As Gov. Rick Scott entices New Yorkers to consider the reduced taxes of the Sunshine State, Floridas unemployment rate dropped to its lowest mark since February 2009, as the number dipped 0.2 percent between January and February, according to the state Department of Economic Opportunity.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment mark for the Sunshine State stood at 9.4 percent for February, representing 869,000 Floridians listed as jobless.

The monthly gains have continued for 19 consecutive months following three years of declines.

Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Thursday a controversial Medicaid bill, HB 5301, that will require counties to pay more into Medicaid, including 85 percent of what the state claims are years of unpaid bills.

"I respectfully acknowledge the concern this provision may create for some counties," Scott wrote in a letter announcing his signature. " ... To that end, I have pledged to the counties that AHCA and my staff will work diligently with them to certify that any billings for which counties are charged are accurate and valid."

As TV reports move on to show surveillance tapes of George Zimmerman in custody at the Sanford police station, and seemingly without a scratch, Gov. Rick Scott continues to urge legislators to have patience with the investigation into the Feb.26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

Democratic legislators have called for an acceleration of a task force to examine the situation in Sanford, where Martin was killed, and even for a special session to review the states 2005 Stand Your Ground law.

Gov. Rick Scott signed a quartet of bills Wednesday that were part of his jobs-creation package that is as much about crafting a positive perception for the business community as it is about providing tax breaks and reducing regulation.

There is not a single bill that we can pass that will drive unemployment to zero, but we can create an environment that sends a signal of stability and predictability to job creators so they can continue Floridas economic recovery, said House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park.

Florida House leadership believes the Senate map will pass muster in the Florida Supreme Court, but a Justice Department review -- now that might be a tougher sell.

The House on Tuesday, as expected, approved the Senates second effort to create a map based on the less-than-2-year-old Fair Districts Amendments.

With an investigation under way into the shooting death of Trayvon Martin and a legislative task force in the wings, a requested special session on the "Stand Your Ground" law isnt going to be an immediate priority for state leaders.

Spokespeople for Gov. Rick Scott and Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R- Merritt Island, said Tuesday that as facts about the Feb. 26 shooting continue to roll out, state and federal investigators should be allowed to first complete their work.

Economic development leaders in Florida announced Tuesday that 400 jobs could be coming to Florida through a company from India landing in Gainesville -- and the expansion of an existing business in northern Palm Beach County.

MindTree Limited, a global information technology company based in Bangalore, India, and Warren, N.J., has unfolded plans to open its first U.S. development center in Gainesville. Meanwhile, Sikorsky Aircraft is going to expand its footprint west of Jupiter.

The Florida House, in an anticipated vote mostly along party lines, will send the Senates map of new voting districts back to the state Supreme Court on Tuesday, where Democrats contend the proposal will again be rejected.

With the daily cost of the extraordinary special session estimated about $40,000, leaders of both parties have discussed holding both the second and final full floor votes on the Senate map in a single day on Tuesday.

All but one of Floridas Republican senators got a passing grade, with two earning perfect scores -- Garrett Richter, R-Naples, and Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando -- and 13 others picking up A's for their votes in the regular session from the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber on Friday released its annual post-session report card on how legislators vote Chamber issues during the 60-day session, ranging from support of personal injury protection insurance reform and numeric nutrient criteria for state waters to opposition to the expansion of casinos.

Hopefuls have already started to line up for the new Senate districts, eying vacant and redrawn seats that will force incumbents to learn new constituents in the upper chamber, though the boundaries have yet to be formally approved.

The possibility exists for only two contests among sitting Senate incumbents under the revamped map. Still, with term limits and some congressional aspirations, the Senate has 14 to 15 open seats and a number of current and former House members believe they are ready to move up.