Backers of a constitutional amendment that would put land-use changes before voters began airing a tough-toned web advertisement that says the measure is needed because Florida leads the nation in corruption among public officials.

Floridas looming budget shortfall has been shrunk in half by state analysts who credit federal stimulus dollars, years of spending cuts, and Indian gambling money as helping forge a brighter picture but one that could still leave the state in a $2.5 billion hole.

The Florida Republican Partys newest supernova, gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott, blazedacross Central Florida on Monday on a party unity tour with legislative leaders and a star-studded fly-around on deck.

Attorney General Bill McCollum appealed Friday to the federal government and besieged oil giant BP for help in his battle over the $20 billion compensation fund established for Gulf oil victims.

The Florida Republican establishment began digging out from the wreckage of the Bill McCollum campaign Wednesday, searching for a political foothold after being rocked by maverick, self-funder Rick Scotts victory in the GOP primary for governor.

Fueled by a stratospheric $100 million in spending, candidates topping the primary ballot Monday barnstormed the state in a last-ditch push for voters with polls showing the Republican governors contest tightening and the Democratic battle for U.S. Senate tilting decidedly toward U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Floridas unemployment rate hit 11.5 percent in July, ending three straight months of decline even as annual job growth showed its first gain since 2007, state officials reported Friday.

A federal appeals court dealt a severe blow Friday to Republican gubernatorial contender Bill McCollum blocking a key portion of the states public campaign finance law which has already steered $1.7 million in taxpayer cash to his underfinanced campaign.

A Leon County Circuit judge struck from the November ballot on Thursday a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at exempting Florida from the federal health care overhaul, calling the measure placed by the Republican-ruled Legislature manifestly misleading to voters.

The fate of the only scheduled statewide television debate between Bill McCollum and Rick Scott remained in doubt Wednesday, despite McCollums bowing to his rivals demand that the contest be held in Jacksonville, not Orlando.