Gov. Rick Scott told mayors and community business leaders Thursday that the perception of Florida as being pro-business has improved "dramatically" in the past 12 months.

We have a lot of things going, Enterprise Florida is swamped right now. I know it isnt happening fast enough, Scott said during a luncheon at the Governors Club in Tallahassee.

Scott focused on his pro-jobs, reduced-regulations agenda as he headlined the "Mayors Mean Business" initiative sponsored by the Florida League of Mayors.

Amid a sea of students in yellow shirts, Gov. Rick Scott pushed legislators to advance bills on Wednesday that would require county school districts to loosen their tight grasp on construction money needed to build charter schools.

You know that the future of our state is 100 percent tied to your education. If you dont get a great education there are not going to be any jobs, Scott said during the 2012 School Choice Rally in the Capitol Courtyard.

Why would companies want to build their businesses here in Florida if we dont have a great education system?

The governors office helped plug a bill that could have sped up the oil exploration-to-drilling process on certain state-owned lands.

Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, chairman of the Environmental Preservation Committee, postponed the Senate version of the bill, SB 1158, on Tuesday.

The bill would authorize state land-management agencies to enter public-private partnerships on state-owned lands with the private company that explored for oil if the yield can produce near-term revenue for the state.

The Senate may be headed toward another floor showdown, this time over funding cuts for the University of South Florida.

USF President Judy Genshaft and Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, emerged from a face-to-face talk Monday saying they still had more work to do over the budget committee chairmans proposal to cut approximately $78 million for the school he hopes to split in two.

Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday came out in favor of how the House of Representatives is trying to revamp the states no-fault insurance program.

After watching the Florida Highway Patrol demonstrate how accidents are staged in order to illegally collect insurance payments, Scott said there are elements of the separate personal injury protection reform bills still making their ways through each legislative chamber.

Gov. Rick Scott has his office working to determine what he can do to keep up the effort to bid out the services of up to 26 Central and South Florida correctional institutions this session.

With the private outsourcing effort projected by state economists to save at least $16.5 million a year, Scott is trying to determine if he can proceed on his own or through other means after the Florida Senate -- with 10 Republicans joining the entire Democratic roster -- rejected a bill on the future management of the facilities on Tuesday.

The Senate Budget Committee on Thursday submitted a $70.7 billion budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

On top of promoting economic development and job creation, we showed our commitment to education by providing more than $1 billion in funding to our K-12 education system, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, stated in a release.

The spending next goes before the full Senate.

The House has alreadyapproved its own $69.2 billion fiscal package.

The following budget breakdown was released by the Senate: