Declaring that other Southeastern states "are eating our lunch," a leading industry group lauded Gov. Rick Scott's plan to phase out Florida's corporate income tax.

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.

Attorney General Bill McCollum thinks the best way to move forward with job creation and business growth in Florida is to replace the state office that oversees economic development.

If elected this fall, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful has plans to overhaul and rebrand the governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development (OTTED). It was a subject that came up in a big way as McCollum campaigned Tuesday morning at the Danfoss Turbocor factory in Tallahassee.