Relating his familys history and invoking the Statue of Liberty and the biblical Exodus, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., closed on his immigration reform bill in a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday afternoon.

No one should dispute that, like every sovereign nation, we have a right to control who comes in, Rubio said. But unlike other countries, we are not afraid of people coming in from other places. Instead, inspired by our Judeo-Christian principles, we Americans have seen the stranger and invited them in.

Michael Levi from the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) will be the keynote speaker at the 2013 Florida Energy Summit, state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced on Thursday.

Michael Levi is a great addition to the lineup for the 2013 Florida Energy Summit, said Putnam. The summit will be an opportunity for Floridas energy stakeholders to hear from this national expert on what the sweeping changes in this countrys energy policies and resources will mean for the future of Florida.

A major Democratic primary is forming in Broward County for an open Florida House seat.

With Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek, facing term limits next year, former Rep. Steve Perman filed to run as a Democrat for the seat at the end of February. For four months Perman was the only candidate in the race -- but a new Democratic contender has jumped in the race. Broward County Mayor Kristin Jacobs, who has served on the Broward County Commission since being first elected to it in 1998, filed her paperwok to run for the House seat on Thursday.