Key West Voters Placed Limits On Cruise Ship Size: Floriduh Leg. Preparing To Void Their Votes

[hatrack]

When Key West put three referendums on the ballot last year to limit cruise ships at the city’s port, the cruise industry funded a dark-money disinformation campaign to convince voters to reject the proposals. Despite stoking fears that the referendums would “devastate” city services like police and fire rescue, the industry lost that battle. Voters approved the referendums by margins of 60 percent to 80 percent to limit the number of tourists allowed to disembark to 1,500 per day, ban ships with more than 1,300 people and give priority to ships with good health and environmental records.

That made sense to Key West voters trying to preserve their way of life and the world’s third-largest barrier reef at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It makes sense to anyone concerned about the Keys’ delicate ecosystem. But opponents of the measure weren’t having it, so they did what monied special interests usually do when they can’t get their way locally: They turned to the Legislature, which is considering legislation to void the results of the referendums and prohibit municipalities from restricting operations at their ports. Senate Bill 426 and House 267 each has cleared a committee in the Senate and House.

EDIT

The problem is when lawmakers are squeezed between economic interests and the environment — well, we don’t need to tell you who wins. That’s what happened when communities started talking about banning retail plastic bags. The Legislature, at the urging of retail giants like Publix, prohibited local regulations and vowed to address the issue from a statewide perspective. (That was in 2008 and we’re still waiting. We aren’t holding our breath.) It happened when the Legislature preempted local bans on Styrofoam containers in 2016 and on plastic straws in 2019, though the latter was vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Key West preemption is just the tip of the iceberg this year. Lawmakers also are pushing legislation to stop counties and cities from increasing energy alternatives to fight climate change — which many Republicans can’t even recognize much less do something about. SB 856 and HB 839 would block restrictions on the construction of “energy infrastructure” related to the production and distribution of electricity, natural gas and petroleum products. The bills would go so far as nullifying solar-energy permitting ordinances and county authority over pipelines along roads and end renewable energy grant programs, opponents say. Not by accident, the bills follow model legislation written by the American Natural Gas Association.

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https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article250094384.html

[snowybirdie]

1. They also

are considering legislation that would allow more air b&b type rentals in local communities. They see it as more revenue from rental income and tourism. Residents see this as ruining neighborhoods by adding transient traffic that is disruptive to neighbors.

[Mickju]

2. Voters don't matter to Republicans.