During a three-hour meeting Thursday morning with Enterprise Florida, Gov. Rick Scott said he will bring the public-private partnership and two other state agencies into a newly created department of commerce -- and house the department right next door to his office where he can give it the attention it deserves.

The House Health and Human Services Committee met Tuesday to host a forum on Medicaid reform -- this one specifically for public comment -- setting the stage for what will be one of the leading issues when the Legislature convenes in March.

While Florida continues to adjust to being led by newly inaugurated Gov. Rick Scott, the new executive continues to flesh out his administration.

There’s no doubt Florida’s business community holds a lot of sway when it comes to electing the state’s next governor. Associated Industries of Florida boasts the most powerful business lobby in the state and the Florida Chamber of Commerce claims the largest membership with 139,000 businesses in its group.

Leaders in Florida’s business, labor and space industry urged President Barack Obama in a letter Monday to extend the space shuttle program at Kennedy Space Center or replace it with a similar manned, heavy-lift vehicle as soon as possible.

In an effort to make Florida recycle 75 percent of its solid waste by 2020, a state Senate committee voted Wednesday to require businesses with 25 employees or more to report their recycling rates biennially. 

The Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee unanimously passed SB 570, sponsored by Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, to get businesses on board with the state’s recycling goals.    

“We are woefully behind other states,” Constantine said. “And, we need to promote programs that implement 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.'”

It’s not talked about much, but the rivalry between Florida’s top business associations is real, and it’s beginning to show itself more in the 2010 elections.

Just four years ago, Associated Industries of Florida played a major role in getting Bill McCollum elected attorney general. But this year, they've made the unusual move of backing both McCollum and Rick Scott for governor.

Attorney General Bill McCollum told some 500 business leaders and water experts in Orlando Friday that he has a specific plan -- in fact, a two-pronged policy initative -- for keeping groundwater flowing in Florida.

After promising -- twice -- during his campaign to preserve America’s space program, the president demonstrated an unfortunate lack of vision for the future of manned space flights. He proved his rhetoric was as hollow as his promises -- mere  attempts to woo the people of the Space Coast so that he could win their votes for his election.