On Monday, the Florida National Guard began rolling in the heavy artillery. Guard members set up helicopters, military trucks and a scaled-down model of a fighter jet in the courtyard in front of the Capitol.

The Senate Commerce Committee passed the Corporate Income Tax Rate Reduction bill today. The bill would secure a one-percent reduction in the corporate income tax rate, from 5.5 percent to 4.5 percent on the first $1 million of corporate taxable income.

Gov. Charlie Crist, who proposed the tax break, released a statement saying he was grateful to Sen. Rudy Garcia, R-Hialeah, and the Commerce Committee, which he serves as chairman, for working quickly to give corporations a bit of a break.

The Florida Senate passed a bill Wednesday afternoon designed to restore public trust in government. SB 1034, more commonly known as the Public Service Commission Reform bill, prohibits PSC commissioners and staffers from engaging in private discussions with the utilities they regulate.

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