TALLAHASSEE -- The 2012 state legislative session will be preoccupied with the once-a-decade chore of redistricting, but a broad spectrum of trade groups and lobbyists is still hoping to capitalize on its pro-business momentum from 2011 with an aggressive agenda.

Several powerful lobbying groups have laid out legislative wish lists in slick publications that tout their roles as “job creators” and call on lawmakers to fight the state’s high rate of unemployment. With jobs still ranking as the top priority of Gov. Rick Scott, several of those wishes are likely to be granted.

When the nine-week legislative session opens Tuesday, lobbyists will be out in full force to support business-friendly bills that run the gamut from education to taxes and business costs. Gambling is a divisive issue, with different business groups lining up on both sides.

Last year’s session was a field day for business interests. The ambitious arrival of a CEO-turned-governor who pledged to make jobs the No.1 priority, combined with a veto-proof Republican majority in the House and Senate, worked in the business community’s favor. Dozens of pro-employer bills passed, lowering corporate taxes, slashing regulations and reducing unemployment compensation benefits.

“Last year was an exceptional year for the business community and certainly for the Florida Chamber,” said David Hart, vice president of governmental affairs for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “It’s rare to have 31 out of our 36 priorities pass both bodies and have 31 of them signed by the governor.”

While the economy is still struggling and jobs remain the top priority, the political climate is a little different this year because of the redistricting process that redraws the state’s political boundaries to account for shifts in the population.

“We’ve been telling our members that you have to manage your expectations,” said Jose Gonzalez, vice president of government affairs for the Associated Industries of Florida. “There’s a small window of opportunity to pass legislation because the focus is on redistricting.”

Still, the business lobby wields considerable influence in the Capitol, and it has plans to flex its muscle in a year when all 160 legislative seats will be up for election.

Here’s a list of some of the top business priorities:

Gambling

The headline issue facing policymakers is whether to allow casino operators to build three mega-resorts in South Florida and possibly elsewhere. It’s a multibillion dollar question complicated by the promise of more than 200,000 new jobs and the potential threat to existing companies. The business community is divided over the issue.

Some groups, like the Associated Industries of Florida, are strongly supporting the destination resort bill, sponsored by Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, and Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami. It would open the door for the Malaysia-based Genting Group to put a casino inside a massive resort complex planned for a downtown waterfront site now occupied by the Miami Herald building.

The reason for AIF’s staunch support: Jobs. The Genting project alone could create an estimated 100,000 jobs, supporting tough industries like construction, AIF states. There are currently more than 200,000 unemployed people in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. AIF’s recently released “2012 Session Priorities” report featured glossy renderings of Genting’s proposed project, and a promise that the trade group would campaign “aggressively” for passage of the gambling bill. Other gambling companies are exploring resort locations in South Florida, too.