Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, started his bid to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 with a bang Thursday, bringing in around $1 million at a fund-raising event in Orlando.

On Friday, House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, named committee and subcommittee assignments for the 2011 session.

Incoming Gov. Rick Scott continues to meet with as many legislative members as possible before he takes office in January.

Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, named more chairmen and vice chairmen of House committees Tuesday, committees that will shape legislation and laws in Florida for the next two years.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee continues to ramp up his operations in Florida. Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and is considering making another attempt in 2012, filed papers for his HuckPAC to work at the state and local level here in the Sunshine State. Huckabee, who moved to Florida from Arkansas, named Frank Tsamotales, a lobbyist and fund-raiser, to head up HuckPAC’s operations in the state ...

Former House Speaker and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio was in Delray Beach on Wednesday, talking about Israel and Middle Eastern affairs to the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Florida Region Chapter.

On the last day of session, the House tackled a health-care measure passed by the Senate which included an amendment requiring that most pregnant women considering an abortion have an ultrasound in the first trimester. The House passed the amendment 72-46, almost mirroring party lines.

Both pro-life and pro-choice advocates maintain that ultrasounds are one of the chief reasons that abortions are on the decline in Florida, with 2009 seeing the lowest number of abortions since 1997.