For all the talk of Floridas 14 ports that are being prepped to capture the expansion of cargo through the Panama Canal and the overall growth in international trade, there is a possible 15th on the western horizon.

Officials in Citrus County are looking to capture some of the growing trade.

Their eyes are not on creating a deepwater port that would be able to dock the massive Panamax ships.

Saying they were demanding little from state legislators other than reducing impediments to economic growth and to continue opposing programs coming from the White House, Americans for Prosperity-Florida and tea party members from across the state gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday for the first of two Patriot Days.

Ten Republicans broke ranks Tuesday to help Democrats defeat the union-opposed plan to privatize correctional facilities in Central and South Florida.

The Senate voted 19-21 to defeat SB 2038, which would have allowed private companies to bid on running one or all-but-one of 26 correctional facilities as the state sought to save at least $16.5 million a year. The bill included a provision prohibiting any single company from having a monopoly over all of the facilities.

Faced with a credibility problem in the eyes ofsome of the states top lawmakers, one of Florida's oldest and most influential business advocacy organizations reached for a big gun -- a top-tier veteran who ran the House when many of those same lawmakers were still learning to navigate the maze of the Capitol hallways.

Gov. Rick Scott says hell be surprised if the Florida Senate rejects the proposal to privatize correctional facilities in Central and South Florida as a vote is expected Tuesday.

Senators narrowly kept alive the bill on Monday when they rejected an amendment -- proposed by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey -- to the bill, SB 2038, that would potentially postpone any action this session by requiring a time-consuming study.

Fox Business Network will be rolling through Florida this weekend with exclusive access to JPMorgan Chase & Co.s Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, as the executive tours the financial institutions expanding Florida footprint.

FBN anchor Melissa Francis is spending Sunday and Monday traveling with Dimon and other JPMorgan Chase officials as they travel by bus, visiting branches that have been part of the banks plan to open 50 new Florida locations this year.

All of a sudden Denise Grimsley finds herself smack in the middle of a tug-of-war between House and Senate -- maneuvering the budget -- the thing that morphs into the annual showdown to decide which is the stronger chamber.

The head of the House budget talks is walking a tightrope. She has a job to do now, but she wants to be accepted as one of the gang and by her potential boss in the Senate next year.

Is she worried? Not in the slightest, says the Sebring Republican.

Port officials and backers are hailing Gov. Rick Scotts decision to float $22.5 million in transportation funding to pump up the petroleum capacity at the Port of Tampa.

The Florida Ports Council says the money will help Florida in its fight against other coastal states for growing international trade.

The Florida Petroleum Marketing and Convenience Store Association looks at the expansion of the ports ability to handle more petroleum as an opportunity to bulk up on supplies in a state that annually faces threats of hurricanes from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

With a month left in the regular session, the Florida House approved a $69.2 billion budget Thursday that increases Pre-K-12 education by 9.5 percent while bumping up college tuition and reducing hospital payments.

Expect there to be serious conference negotiations ahead as the Senate continues to hammer out its financial plan for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, called the fiscal plan a prudent approach to funding essential government functions, including education, transportation infrastructure, public safety and economic development.

The effort to allow casinos to go up in South Florida isnt dead after all.

Addressing reporters after the floor session Wednesday, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said he expects the Senate version of the destination gaming bill, SB 710, to advance.

Clearly the House and Senate are not on the same page. The majority of the senators by far would agree with regulating, as opposed to banning, those facilities, Haridopolos said.

The Senate president added that its a 60-day session. Well have to see what happens.