Lawmakers doled out the second-largest number of budget “turkeys” since 2007 in the spending plan for the coming fiscal year, Florida TaxWatch said, s the amount of money dedicated to the pet projects increased in the face of improving economic conditions.

Gary Fineout, Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has made job creation his top priority since coming into office, has rejected a proposed deal to bring major Internet retailer Amazon to the state.

After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Scott ultimately said no to a deal that would have led to the construction of Amazon warehouses in Florida. The warehouses could have created up to 2,500 jobs in the state.

Dude wins a primary in a special election and suddenly Mike Hill, soon to be the only African American Republican in the Legislature, is the second coming of, well, um, Jennifer Carroll.

It was reported on Wednesday that the investors looking to purchase and redevelop Tampa’s Channelside came to an impasse with the Tampa Port Authority over its proposed purchase of the failing downtown waterfront entertainment and retail complex.

The 1st District Court of Appeal has upheld an injunction that keeps the state from imposing key parts of a 2012 personal-injury protection law, as the fight over the auto-insurance overhaul remains in the court system, reports the News Service of Florida.

Below is a brief look at today's Florida Morning. Here's the full version.

@Mdixon55

After Scott priority fails to get 80 votes, legislative staff flip-flop on supermajority clause

Late Wednesday afternoon, Rick Kriseman became the only mayoral candidate to qualify on the ballot by petition. 

Campaigns often get candidates on the ballot by petition in order to test the strength of the early stages of their organization. 

“I’m proud to qualify on the ballot by petition,” said Kriseman. “I think it speaks to the strength of the grassroots organization we’ve built to get our message out to every voter in St. Petersburg.”

In recent days, Democratic strategists have all but begged President Obama to take control of a deepening public relations disaster that threatens to derail his second-term agenda, Politico reports.

The biggest battles on the education front in the 2013 legislative sessions have already been fought and largely decided: Educators will get $480 million in pay raises, though not precisely how Gov. Rick Scott had asked, and the Senate killed a bill allowing parents more of a say in the future of failing schools, reports Brandon Larrabee of the News Service of Florida.

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

After Gov. Rick Scott’s highly prioritized manufacturing tax cut passed the Florida Legislature without receiving a two-thirds vote majority, legislative staff analysts have had a change of heart and now believe such a supermajority was not necessary. 

When the legislative session started in March, it was prime time for Florida lobbyists.

And newly filed reports show the industry cashed in during the first three months of the year, with at least four lobbying firms collecting more than $1 million — and dozens of others earning hundreds of thousands of dollars, reports Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida.

Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority agreed Wednesday to ask the city to seek proposals from companies interested in managing Hemming Plaza to make it more attractive to visitors and merchants.

“We have so many people interested in having this happen and getting it done. … I think we have a workable program here,” said authority member Jim Bailey, who was part of an earlier City Council review of the one-block park in front of City Hall.