The state legislative effort to overturn Key Westâs voter-approved restrictions on cruise ships took a leap forward Wednesday when the Senate Transportation Committee approved a bill that would remove the cityâs ability to regulate its own harbor.
Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, the freshman senator representing the Florida Keys, voted against the bill. However, she had earlier put forth an amendment that would have exempted Key West from the proposed Senate Bill 426 because the city is a State Area of Critical Concern. That designation allows special protections for the off-shore waters of Key West because of its delicate coral and fish ecosystems.