The capital city took a collective deep breath this week as lawmakers, lobbyists and advocates packed up their holiday decorations and prepared to unpack their bags for the 2012 legislative session now only a few days away.

As Iowa voters went to their caucuses and chose a pair of favorites that reflected the GOP's apparent identity crisis, candidates amped up their respective political machinery in Florida in preparation for this state's presidential primary Jan. 31. The event may determine the Republican Party's champion in its attempt to unseat a precariously perched incumbent.

Meanwhile, gambling interests got a look at the latest rendition of a bill that would allow resort-style gambling venues, initially in South Florida, to enter the state. The gambling legislation, arguably the most heavily lobbied issue of the session already, has been a moving target as competing interests position themselves on an issue that may prove too heavy a lift for an election-year legislative session.

GAMBLING:

Late Friday afternoon, a 170-page rewrite of SB 710 was released. The amendment, which will be brought up Monday in the Senate Regulated Industries Committee, makes a number of changes to the original version sponsored by Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, that would allow the state to approve three resort/gambling venues.

Among its provisions, the bill would apply a 10 percent tax on a destination resort's gross receipts. Existing pari-mutuel facilities would be allowed to offer slot machines and would see their tax rate drop from 35 percent to 18 percent once a destination resort opens its doors.

Pari-mutuels would also be allowed to offer limited gaming and be taxed at a 10 percent rate if voters in the county they reside in approve the idea. The bill sets a Dec. 31, 2014, deadline for such referenda.

The new proposal will likely provide the grist for renewed debate next week over an issue that has split the business community. The Florida Chamber of Commerce has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of casino gambling. South Florida chambers, however, this week gave qualified support for the mega-developments, which backers say would most likely look to South Florida.

COURTS:

The new year is expected to be a busy one for the courts, which will take up a number of issues ranging from drug testing for welfare recipients to governance of the state university system.

Last week, former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and others filed paperwork with the Florida Supreme Court to resolve a long-running dispute about the power of the university system's Board of Governors to set tuition and fees.

The group filed a brief Dec. 30 asking the Supreme Court to take the case. The request came more than two months after the 1st District Court of Appeal sided with legislative leaders in the dispute, which stems from a 2002 constitutional amendment that created the Board of Governors.