Trading partners warn of backlash if Rick Scott signs anti-Cuba bill pushed by Miami-Dade lawmakers

Florida’s top two foreign trading partners and the Florida Chamber of Commerce are sounding alarms about a new state law banning governments from hiring companies with business ties to Cuba.

The warnings from economic powerhouses Canada and Brazil pit mighty business interests against the Miami-Dade lawmakers who authored the bill and the majority of legislators who voted for it, placing Florida’s pro-business governor in a political bind.

The frustrated business lobbies have made their concerns known to Gov. Rick Scott, who has until May 5 to sign or veto the legislation, which was formally sent to him Friday. He could also let the measure become law without his signature.

Florida Chamber President Mark Wilson told The Miami Herald he received an unusual phone call from the office of the Canadian ambassador to the United States, which is concerned that the law would affect a slew of Canadian companies that work in both Florida and Cuba.

Wilson said the companies told the Canadian government “that they will not be making any more investments in Florida for fear they might get hit by this.”

Canada is one of Florida’s largest trading partners, second only to Brazil — whose similar complaints about the law have gone all the way to Washington.

Brazilian Minister of Trade and Industry Fernando Pimentel brought up Florida House Bill 959 earlier this month with U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson, who told him the administration could not do anything until the state legislation becomes law, according to a Brazilian official.

More here.

Marco Rubio on Mitt Romney's VP pick: "He's going to make a great choice"

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. was interviewed by CNN's Candy Crowley for an episode of State of the Union airing today. Here are some excerpts:

Jeb Bush - your mentor, your colleague - says he really hopes if Mitt Romney comes to you and asks you 'I want you to be vice president,' that you would say yes.

RUBIO: Well that's very nice of Jeb, I hope he'll say yes if future President Romney asks him. You know-

CROWLEY: And he in fact indicated he'd certainly look at it.

RUBIO: Yeah, well that's good because I think he'd be a fantastic vice president. But let me just say this about the vice presidential process. Up to now it's all been theoretical, we have a nominee now, and our nominee, Mitt Romney, the leader of the Republican Party, has a vice presidential process in place. And I think from this point moving forward, I think it'd be wise for all Republicans to kind of respect that process, myself included, and say moving forward, we're going to let his process play itself out. He's been a great decision maker throughout his career in both the private sector and in politics and he's going to make a great choice.

CROWLEY: Sorry, do you still stand by 'I wouldn't accept it if he offered it?'

RUBIO: Yeah, I'm not even going to discuss the process anymore. I'm going to be respectful of the process he's put in place. And I think that's-

CROWLEY: That's kind of different though, than what you said before.

RUBIO: No, it's the same. I think the fairness in it is that he now has a real process in place. He has folks that he's hired and has asked to go through a vice presidential process. The last thing he needs are those of us in the peanut gallery to be saying what we would or would not do. So, here's what I know: I know that Mitt Romney's going to make a great choice for vice president. And I know Mitt Romney's going to make a great president for this country.