Business leaders from throughout Florida were in the Capital City Wednesday as part of the Florida Chamber’s 2019 Legislative Fly-In and have been sharing the 2019 Jobs Agenda, which the Chamber believes will help Florida create at least 150,000 new jobs this year.

Good jobs and economic growth are essential to Securing Florida’s Future, the Chamber says on its Agenda. The Chamber is calling on lawmakers to make Florida more competitive by:

• Lowering the Cost of Living,

• Reducing the Cost of Doing Business, and

Shore-based anglers will no longer be able to use fish parts, bones and blood to attract sharks, as critics of shark fishing would like to see lines cast farther away from beachgoers.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, meeting Wednesday in Gainesville, approved several shore-based shark fishing changes that will go into effect July 1.

The Space Caucus is ready for takeoff in the Florida Legislature. 

State Rep. Tyler Sirois, R-Cocoa, announced the creation of the caucus during this week’s “Space Days” at the Capitol. Sirois and state Sen. Tom Wright, R-New Smyrna Beach, the chairman of the state Senate Military and Veterans Affairs and Space, will lead the new caucus. 

“The Space Caucus will be instrumental in educating members of the Florida Legislature about the importance of space and Florida remaining the launch pad to America’s future in space exploration,” said Sirois on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration that diverts $8 billion in already appropriated money for border security -- most significantly, $3.6 billion from the Defense Department’s construction account – is unlikely to have a direct impact on Florida, although it is uncertain what projects on what military bases could be affected.

What will have a direct impact on Florida, specifically the Panhandle, is the $333 billion bipartisan spending package adopted 83-16 in the Senate and 300-128 in the House on Feb. 14.