Five of today’s top Florida political stories at your fingertips:

Alex Sink won’t challenge David Jolly for District 13 seat in November: Democrat Alex Sink has decided not to run for Congress this fall, a move that could benefit newly elected Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly. Sink told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday that she made a “very personal” choice against running after weighing several factors. “I was certainly all in for the special election and at this point in time I just made the decision that I did not want to run again.”Sink said Democratic officials showed her an analysis of election trends and “the numbers actually looked better than I anticipated.” Read more.

Rick Scott: Charlie Crist’s debate challenge is “laughable”: “Give me Scott.” Democrat Charlie Crist issued that implicit debate challenge to Gov. Rick Scott during an impromptu caught-on-video meeting with Lieutenant Governor Carlos-Lopez Cantera. But Scott said Tuesday that he’s not ready to take up the challenge, noting that Crist has refused to debate his fellow Democrat, former Sen. Nan Rich. “That’s laughable. Think about it. He has a primary,” Scott said.“I’m sure it’s going to be enjoyable watching his debates with Nan Rich,” he said. Rich appreciated Scott’s comments. Read more.

Scott drug tests at issue in U.S. Supreme Court: More than three years after Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order seeking across-the-board drug testing for state employees, the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to decide whether to weigh in on the controversial policy. The court is expected Friday to discuss privately whether to hear an appeal filed by Scott after a lower court found that the drug-testing plan was too broad, according to an online Supreme Court docket. Behind the scenes, justices sift through thousands of cases a year but decide to hear arguments in only about 100. Read more.

Republicans tout endorsements and pro-life positions in CD 19: With a week to go in the Republican primary to replace former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., in Congress, the three leading candidates spent the first half of this week looking to reinforce their conservative credentials by touting out endorsements and showcasing their pro-life stances. Read more.

Will Florida marijuana businesses be able to find banks to handle their accounts?: One seldom-discussed pothole along the road to marijuana legalization in Florida is the reluctance of banks to have anything to do with businesses that deal in the plant.Never mind that the Obama administration issued guidelines in February intended to give banks confidence they won’t be punished if they provide services to legitimate marijuana businesses in the 20 states that have legalized use of the drug. For the most part, wary financial institutions aren’t buying it.That’s likely to be the case in Florida, too — if voters approve the marijuana amendment on the November ballot, and perhaps even if the Legislature passes the Charlotte’s Web medical marijuana bill. Read more.

BONUS: Abortion parental notice case divides appeals court

For more Florida political news, visit BPR’s FLORIDA NEWS page

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Michele Kirk

Michele Kirk is the vice president and senior managing editor for BizPac Review. Michele can be reached at [email protected]

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