A special space state report:

A new Florida Space Caucus met this week in Tallahassee to discuss planned legislation to support the state’s space industry. The 42-member caucus plans to support a “handful” of bills this year, including incentives for companies as well as dedicated funding for Space Florida, the state space development agency. This is of particular concern given updated reports up to 7,000 people at KSC will lose their jobs when the shuttle retires. “I’m on a personal mission to save every job possible,” said Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp.

Officials in Ohio, meanwhile, want to remind people that it’s not just KSC and other centers closely tied to the shuttle program that deserve attention. An Ohio congressional delegation and members of the governor’s office met with NASA administrator Charles Bolden on Wednesday and left feeling “encouraged”. “I believe he is someone who we can work with effectively to enhance the core competencies that have already been solidified at NASA Glenn,” Sen. George Voinovich said in a statement released after the meeting. Ohio’s other senator, Sherrod Brown, also expressed support for NASA Glenn, writing a letter directly to President Obama asking him “to retain critical research and development” programs at the center and bring in new work, including alternative energy research.

Republican members of Texas’ Congressional delegation, including the ranking member of the House Science and Technology Committee, are facing an unusually large number of primary challengers this year, many of whom have ties to the conservative “Tea Party” movement, the Houston Chronicle reports. Ralph Hall, top Republican on the science committee, is facing five challengers in the GOP primary, including two people who associate themselves with the movement, one of whom has even included the nickname “Tea” in his name on the ballot. “We have to reach the varmints we can get to,” explained the head of Houston’s Tea Party group.

In Virginia, NASA and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport will be topics during a debate among Republican candidates for Congress tonight on the Eastern Shore. The six are vying to take on the current member from Virginia’s 2nd District, Democrat Glenn Nye, in the general election in November.