Florida lawmaker seeks to overturn cruise limits passed by Key West voters
A bill introduced this week in the Florida Legislature would overturn three laws recently passed by Key West voters to limit cruise tourism to the city.
The so-called preemption bill filed by state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, would retroactively prohibit local governments from regulating seaport business, including restricting a vessel’s type or size. In November, more than 60% of Key West voters decided to ban cruise ships with a capacity of more than 1,300 people from docking in the city, and to limit the number of cruise visitors who can disembark each day to 1,500.
“I support commerce and revenue sources for all ports in our state,” said Boyd via text message. “With the tremendous economic loss many encountered this past year, I don’t believe we ought to restrict opportunities for Floridians to be able to earn a living and support their families.”
Key West city government officials said they are opposing the bill, which would obviate the restrictions imposed by the November referendum.
“Our lobbyists are working on it,” said City Manager Greg Veliz.
Veliz said the issue goes beyond cruising and is a challenge to home rule.
“Everybody loves home rule unless it goes against them,” Veliz said. “If you want Tallahassee or Washington calling the shots, they might not fall in your favor. At least here, you’ve got someone to call.”
Veliz said his predecessor, Jim Scholl, advised him to always protect home rule.
“I didn’t know what he meant,” Veliz said. “Now I do.”
Key West Mayor Teri Johnston said the city will fight against the proposed legislation.
“We will work to fight against this assault again on home rule and also protect the vote of our citizens,” she said.
The limits on cruise ship visitors passed by 63%, and the ban on larger ships passed by 61%. A third referendum giving docking priorities to cruise ships with the best environmental and health records passed by about 81%.
“It was not close,” said Johnston, who called the bill “broad and sweeping.”
The campaign leading up to the Nov. 3 vote was marred by disinformation-filled mailers paid for by cruise companies through a dark money scheme.
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s lobbying group, commissioned polling before the election that showed the industry was unpopular among likely Key West voters. As early voting began, a nonprofit organization called Protect Our Jobs Inc. sent out the mailers, which falsely warned residents that limiting cruise tourism would “defund the police,” using money cruise companies donated to affiliated political committees. Protect Our Jobs Inc. was managed by lobbyists for Rubin Turnbull, the Tallahassee and South Florida lobbying firm.
Boyd, a former Florida House member and freshman senator, said neither cruise companies nor their lobbyists were involved in drafting the bill.
CLIA, the cruise industry group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The legislative session is scheduled to begin in Tallahassee on March 2.
The Key West Committee for Safer, Cleaner Ships, which led the campaign in favor of the referendums, railed against the bill this week.
“Make no mistake: this bill is written by and for foreign-owned cruise companies who exploit local community resources to maximize offshore profits,” the committee said in a statement Wednesday.
“We are exploring all options for what else we can do to make sure the votes are respected,” said Arlo Haskell, an organizer of the committee. “Tallahassee has no sense of what is important to the people of Key West or what the people of Key West want. Fundamentally, this is an issue on home rule and self-governance in Key West.”
Key West Harbor has been locally controlled since the beginning of Florida history, Haskell said.
“It’s an insult to our history in Key West, that Tallahassee would control the harbor,” he said.
Tallahassee bureau chief Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 11:43 AM.
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