Gov. Rick Scott has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff Tuesday at the Brevard County Sheriffs Office, West Melbourne City Hall, and the Brevard County Courthouse for Brevard County Sheriffs Deputy Barbara Pill.

Deputy Barbara Pill, who had 30 years of law enforcement experience, was shot and killed March 6 after she stopped a car driven by two people suspected of stealing items from a nearby hotel.

The flags are to be at half-staff from sunrise to sunset.

With an eye on the expanding global shipping trade, highlighted by the continued widened of the Panama Canal, state legislators upped the amount of money that will be available to upgrade the states seaports.

Legislators increased the nondesignated port funding from $117 million in the current year to $135 million for the next fiscal year and created a $35 million port investment initiative.

The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud hailed "the toughest PIP fraud reforms Florida has passed in years," but warned that the state has "a long way to go before turning the corner on this crime."

"The full-on commitment by Governor Rick Scott and his CFO Jeff Atwater lent critical weight to passage. Their making fraud a top-tier priority reinforced this crimes high costs to Floridians, and the higher costs of inaction," said Walter Dartland.

With Mississippi holding its Republican presidential primary on Tuesday, a poll released Monday shows Mitt Romney with a narrow lead over Newt Gingrich in the Magnolia State. There are 40 delegates at stake in the primary.

Romney leads the American Research Group (ARG) poll of likely Republican primary voters with 34 percent, with Gingrich right on his heels with 32 percent. Rick Santorum stands in third place with 22 percent with Ron Paul taking 8 percent, while 3 percent remain undecided and 1 percent back other candidates.