Marco Rubio threats investigated by police in US Capitol, West Miami

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was the subject of a threat deemed credible enough to merit police protection in Washington D.C. and at his home in West Miami, The Miami Herald has learned.

The freshmen Senator has rocketed to national political stardom in recent weeks as he jumps to the top of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's shortlist of potential running mates. From CNN to the Daily Show, Rubio has become a staple of cable-news chatter about whether Romney would offer him the spot and whether he'd take it. Rubio also plans to release an autobiography in June.

But the fame has made him not just a magnet of criticism but now the target of a threat, Rubio's office confirmed. No additional information about the threat will be released for now. The U.S. Capitol Police, in conjunction with the West Miami Police Department, are providing security and investigating. Neither agency could be reached for an official comment.

A uniformed cruiser was parked outside Rubio's home Tuesday night. And Rubio is likely to have security with or near him Wednesday when he gives a foreign-policy speech at the Brookings Institution.

If Rubio became a vice-presidential candidate, he would receive around-the-clock protection from the U.S. Secret Service.

Scott signs 'reclaimed water' bill

Gov. Scott signed into law the 'reclaimed water' bill pushed by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Rep. Dana Young, R-Tampa.

The law forbids water management districts, which control water for the state, from forcing cities and utilities to give away water they pay to treat. It is designed to encourage Tampa and other cities to invest in infrastructures for reclaimed water.

Task force for drug-addicted babies convenes

Attorney General Pam Bondi and health leaders from around the state met in Tallahassee today to address the flood of babies born to drug-addicted mothers.

The task force was created by legislation passed this year to examine the problem of prescription drug abuse by expectant mothers, the costs associated with caring for babies suffering from neonatal withdrawal syndrome, the long-term effects of the syndrome, and prevention strategies.

The meeting mostly consisted of reviewing the harm caused to drug-addicted babies and organizing research duties.

Gun Owners of America tell Gov. Scott to hold firm on Stand Your Ground

Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law is under attack, and a 19-member task force is gearing up to potentially do great bodily harm to the very core of the statute. They could even kill it.

Sensing this grave threat, Gun Owners of America is firing back, shooting off a petition to Gov. Rick Scott telling him not to repeal the law.

Gun Owners of America, a D.C.-based pro-Second Amendment lobbying group not affiliated with the NRA, is circulating a petition to its 300,000 members, targeting Scott.

"The anti-gun voices within the taskforce are certain to call at least for a repeal of the Stand Your Ground law, the Castle Doctrine law, and maybe even the state’s concealed carry law," the lead-in to the GOA petition states. "Even if you don’t live in Florida, please sign the petition below."

Unfortunately, the Washington-based group's petition has several mischaracterizations about Florida, its crime statistics and the history of the Stand Your Ground law.

We'll break down a few of them here, and post the full petition below.

Miami-Dade Republicans press Gov. Rick Scott to sign new Florida bill banning governments from hiring companies tied to Cuba

Backers of legislation prohibiting the state and local governments from hiring companies whose affiliates work in Cuba have gone on the offensive to pressure Gov. Rick Scott to sign HB 959 into law.

The renewed effort comes after the influential Florida Chamber of Commerce and business interests in top trading partners Brazil and Canada raised red flags about the legislation, which they say could be unconstitutional -- and drive away investment.

The bill received near-unanimous support in the Legislature, with only one person, Miami Democratic Sen. Larcenia Bullard, voting against. The measure was sponsored by two Miami-Dade Republicans, Sen. René García of Hialeah and Rep. Michael Bileca of Miami.

Garcia sent Scott a letter Tuesday urging him to sign the bill into law. "Many of our constituents have fled communist Cuba, leaving everything behind to find refuge in our great state," he wrote. "By signing this bill, you will be honoring our commitment to them and acknowledging their perilous plight towards freedom."

Tick tock of almost missed merit retention paperwork reveals 'comedy of errors'

It was six minutes after 10 a.m. on Friday morning and, Dan Stengle recalls, "my life passed before my eyes."

The legal counsel for the merit retention campaigns of Justices Barbara Pariente, Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince was told by the justices' campaign treasurer that the three justices hadn't completed all the paperwork needed to run in their merit retention election on the November ballot.

The justices were just minutes into a two-hour redistricting hearing -- the only issue since Bush v. Gore on which the court has scheduled a two-hour hearing.

Stengle, whose law office is five blocks from the Supreme Court building, called the courthouse, then ran over to it.

Before Supreme Court hearings, ACLU of Florida slams Bondi support of Arizona immigration law

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida slammed Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday for supporting an Arizona law the group says unfairly targets immigrants and encourages racial profiling.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow on the law, which among other things, requires police officers to verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being undocumented.

"As Florida’s principal legal officer, the attorney general should know that racial profiling is bad policing, and that it drives an unnecessary wedge between law enforcement and the communities it protects," said ACLU of Florida director Howard Simon in a prepared statement.

Bondi, alongside 15 attorneys general from other states, signed a legal brief in support of the law in February.

Tim Pawlenty to Fox News: I'm out, Mitt Romney should pick Marco Rubio

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told FOX News Channel's America's Newsroom that he's taken himself out of the running for vice president VP -- and that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. oughta be the pick. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has many good choices, Pawlenty said.

"Well I've taken my name off the list for Vice President so we should talk about Marco Rubio and the other great possibilities that Mitt Romney will have. Look when you put up Mitt Romney and whoever he picks against President Obama and his failed leadership and his failed economy I think that ticket on the Romney side is going to do very very well. I've taken my name off the list."

As for Rubio as a potential VP pick, here's what Pawlenty said:

"Well I think he’s going to be on everybody's list, all the pundits' lists, people who follow this for good reason. He's a very capable individual, a very gifted individual, he's got a compelling American story, he's incredible on policy. He comes from a big state with a lot of electoral votes from the swing state of Florida. So for all those reasons and more he is of course going to be on everybody's list of potential V.P. candidates and one of the leading candidates."

[VIDEO] Rick Scott talks tuition, jobs and reelection

Gov. Rick Scott spent a half hour taking a flurry of questions from reporters Tuesday. He weighed in on rising tuition, his (mightier-than-the-sword) veto pen, the Stand Your Ground task force and the overall state of Florida's economy. He also made it clear that he will seek reelection in 2014.

Here's the video:

 

--@ToluseO

David Rivera challenger Gloria Romero Roses, a Democrat, worked for firm that fought SEIU

When Democrat Gloria Romero Roses runs for Congress this fall, her biggest opponent may not be incumbent Republican Rep. David Rivera, but her own résumé.

For nearly three years, Roses worked for a Hollywood-based condo management company that fought a nasty battle against one of the Democratic Party’s biggest contributors: the Service Employees International Union.

Roses headed the employee relations department and later became director of communications and community relations for The Continental Group, which manages condo properties across South Florida. Beginning in 2004, a local SEIU chapter tried unsuccessfully to unionize Continental’s condo workers, mostly in Miami Beach. The union accused the company of interfering with the union effort.

Roses, however, said she backs unions — and that Continental merely “engaged in an open dialogue” with its workers. The company pointed out to employees that it paid a salary higher than the industry average, she said, and provided workers with health benefits and a 401(k) retirement plan.

“I’m a strong supporter of collective bargaining,” Roses told The Miami Herald. “What do they call it — union busting? That wasn’t my role.”

Story here.