Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two Jacksonville-centric bills this week: one that will affect how the Duval School Board handles legal issues and one that aims to boost development of Cecil Airport as a spaceport.

Both bills were sponsored by Rep. Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville.

After the School Board’s city-appointed attorney resigned last year, Jacksonville’s Office of General Counsel hired a replacement on behalf of the school district. But board members weren’t happy with the city’s control of the hiring process and the limited pool of applicants. It led to a discussion among board members about seeking an attorney independent of the city. 

The bill DeSantis signed is the result of a compromise between the board and the City Council. The city charter will change to allow the board to hire its own attorney, but that person will still be under the oversight of the city’s general counsel. 

And another bill puts the Jacksonville Aviation Authority in charge of developing Cecil Airport into a national aerospace hub by investing in infrastructure, technology innovation and job creation. The JAA will need to present an annual economic development plan to the City Council laying out how it will grow the facility and draw a larger aerospace industry presence there.