The Senate has revved up efforts to make it illegal to text while driving, yet the House bill on the long-sought prohibition continues to idle.

After more than a decade of different legislators seeking to ban the practice, Sen. Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton, said the time has come for the bill that would make it a secondary offense if law enforcement sees the driver texting or reading texts while committing another offense, such as speeding or reckless driving.

The only question now is, will the House take up the issue, he said.

Emulating his Senate counterpart from earlier in the week, House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, did some chest thumping on the Legislatures decision to move up this years presidential primary.

But as for his own vote in Tuesdays Florida primary, Cannon said he has already submitted an absentee ballot and stuck with his endorsement of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Perry remains one of the nine of the primary ballot, but his campaign has been suspended.

The House Education Committee slapped its support on the side of a bill that would help school districts raise badly needed cash by posting advertisements on the side of school buses.

Behind a 14-3 vote on Thursday, HB 19 -- aimed at helping school districts facing mounting transportation costs due to rising fuel prices -- received its needed third endorsement from a House committee before heading toward a full vote by the chamber.

Senators added additional demands Wednesday on the companies that win contracts to manage prisons in 18 Central and South Florida counties, as the outsourcing proposal had its second and final stop before an expected floor vote.

Members of the Senate Budget Committee, taking only a few public comments while addressing a packed room that included numerous correctional officers, voted 14-4 to support the bill that is projected to save the state at least $22 million to $45 million a year.

A compromise to give Gov. Rick Scott and future governors the power to name the majority of the states judicial nominating commission appointments sailed through its first committee on Wednesday.

In a 5-1 party-line vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee backed the bill, SB 1570, that would allow an incoming governor to name five of the nine members of the states judicial nominating commission upon taking office, rather than waiting for each individuals four-year term to expire.

The Florida Alliance for Main Street Fairness, which includes the Florida Retail Federation, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida, was quick to criticize a report that Amazon is seeking a two-year waiver from collecting sales taxes in exchange for opening a pair of distribution centers in the state.

This is a bad deal for Florida and lawmakers should reject it, Rick McAllister, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, stated in a release from the Florida Alliance for Main Street Fairness.

A statewide referendum designed to pump life into the housing market by creating a super property-tax exemption for first-time home buyers and seasonal or second home owners will remain in its original form on the November 2012 ballot.

With little support indicated from members of the Budget Subcommittee on Finance and Tax, as well as continued opposition from the League of Cities and Association of Counties, Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, on Wednesday withdrew -- for now -- his attempt to bring more equity to the states property-tax system.

Florida is already leading the charge against the federal governments health-care overhaul.

But just to be sure that the Supreme Court knows the sentiment of the states elected officials, legislators are moving forward with a House memorial that reaffirms the effort of Attorney General Pam Bondi to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act before the rules are firmly locked into place in two years.

The state has been able to reduce unemployment for returning service members from 20 percent to 17 percent, but state legislators and business leaders say thats not good enough.

Standing between a UH-70 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota as part of Florida National Guard Day in the courtyard of the Capitol, Gov. Rick Scott helped announce a commitment to returning service members that is beyond the numerous thanks and resolutions combat veterans often receive when returning home.

Floridas decision to move its presidential primary up by more than a month is going to pay off for the candidates and the state, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, said Tuesday.

Haridopolos said the Sunshine State should also get as much promotion as the candidates crisscrossing Florida in advance of next weeks primary.

I know its not in Tallahassee right now, but I understand around the state it's great weather. So this is like free advertising for our state, he said.