Gina Herron and Chris Spencer

Gina Herron, 30, entered politics with the hope of helping people through policy.  She was given her first political jobs by Rep. Bryan Nelson and Sen. Andy Gardiner; and admires people in politics who aim to make lives better through compassion and hard work. 

By David Bauerlein

State Sens. Aaron Bean and Audrey Gibson recently met with the head of the Agency for Health Care Administration about its audit that said Community Rehabilitation Center must repay almost $1.4 million in Medicaid payments.

A new Harvard study contacted over 7,000 election administrators in 28 states and found they provided different information about voter ID requirements to voters of different ethnicities.

From MH's Jay Weaver:

@MarcACaputo

Rene Rivas was about to be deported in the dark of night, at 4 a.m.

But that was last week.

Seven days later, on Monday, the undocumented immigrant was released from an immigration lock-up and allowed to work legally and live openly with his wife and children in Miami for a year.

Education Commissioner Tony Bennett is mulling a reorganization of the state Department of Education, but the project has been slowed by laws that spell out the responsibilities of some positions at the agency, reports Brandon Larrabee of the News Service of Florida.

A morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.

Florida had a budget surplus this year for the first time since the recession began, and that’s good news for the state’s social services programs, reports Margie Menzel of the News Service of Florida.

Most lost funding during the downturn, and some didn’t survive it, but the new 2013-14 budget provides new money to many programs for the first time in five years. Other projects fell to Gov. Rick Scott’s veto pen.

Christmas trees are responsible for hundreds of fires annually; but according to a series of arrests made in Marion County, at least some of these fires are the result of arson and insurance fraud.

If Florida election reform were a mountain, the League of Women Voters suggests the trek up it to be a an unlikely feat, but one which resulted this legislative session in a surprising view of the summit.

TALLAHASSEE -- Two months after contributing $110,000 to Gov. Rick Scott’s reelection campaign, an upstart property insurance company is likely to reap a $52 million windfall, paid from the coffers of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Saying he was "absolutely disappointed" by his interfaith breakfast featuring only Christians, Mayor Alvin Brown said Tuesday he took full responsibility for the lack of diversity.

The Monday breakfast included Catholic and Protestant ministers but -- unlike in years past -- no Hindu priests, Muslim imams or Jewish rabbis. The speakers list also failed to include Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists and Orthodox clergy, groups that had been represented at Brown's last two breakfasts.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, himself a victim of millions in political spending by supposedly non-political 501(c)(4) groups, said in a congressional hearing they shouldn’t be allowed to do any political activity.

Nelson said the current IRS scandal over targeting conservative groups applying for 501(c)(4) status wouldn’t have happened if the…

The political arm of the National Organization has issued an early endorsement for Nan Rich, dark horse Democratic contender for governor.

According to an announcement from Rich’s campaign, Donna Slutiak, president of NOW’s political arm, called Rich “the best hope for Florida’s women.”

Rich, a former state senator from Weston,…