U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson issued a ruling from Pensacola on Monday declaring the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.

Florida’s budget deficit got a little larger Wednesday, with a state economist adjusting previous projections up slightly to $3.62 billion. And it could get larger still.

A controversial bill that would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot -- allowing the state to opt out of the individual mandate portion of the federal health-care law passed last year -- cleared another hurdle in the Senate Tuesday.

President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, the federal overhaul of health care, is under siege in Florida courts and the state Legislature, but those efforts aren’t enough for some tea party groups.

Floridians could get the chance to opt out of the federal health-care law if state legislators get their way.

Committee meetings for the 2011 legislative session begin Tuesday, and the biggest item on any agenda is Senate Joint Resolution 2, known as the Florida Health Care Freedom Act, which would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to opt out of the Affordable Care Act.

Florida will become the third state to seek a waiver of the controversial medical-loss ratio provision of the Affordable Care Act, the remnants of President Barack Obama's health-care reform law signed in March.