State Rep. Paige Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda, applauded Gov. Rick Scott for signing a law expanding access to concealed weapons permits to Florida military service members and honorably discharged veterans.

Kreegel, who authored House Bill 463, said, We have successfully enhanced the Second Amendment rights of our fighting men and women. We entrust them with firearms to defend our nation, that trust should extend to allowing them to carry concealed weapons in civilian life.

The Democrat-controlled Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, which usually marches in lockstep with the White House, has disallowed all of the Obama administration's fiscal 2013 request for high-speed rail.

Transportation analyst Ken Orski reports that instead of spending $4 billion more on HSR, the panel voted to allocate $1.45 billion for Amtrak and $100 million for the High Performance Passenger Rail grant program to assistwith the improvement of existing intercity services and multistate planning initiatives.

Even though the selection of its presidential candidate for the 2012 election is not in question, the Florida Democratic Party will hold statewide county caucuses on May 5 to begin its delegate selection process for the national convention in Charlotte, N.C.

The state is sending 300 delegates and 23 alternates to the conference.

Those selected will advance to the partys statewide convention June 1-3 in Tampa where they will take part in the final phase of the process.