Florida Governor Signs Bill Overturning Key West Cruise Ship Restrictions
Published 14 hours ago
With the stroke of a pen, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has overturned Key West’s voter-approved limits on cruise ships.
In November 2020, voters in the southern tip of Florida approved three ballot questions that would restrict the number of daily cruise ship visitors to 1,500, ban vessels carrying more than 1,300 passengers, and prioritize docking for cruise lines with the best health and environmental records.
The referendum wasn’t close. Key West citizens voted 63 percent in favor of limiting daily cruise ship visitors to 1,500. About 60 percent said yes to prohibiting larger ships, and over 80 percent agreed that the best cruise line corporate citizens should get the first pick of docking assignments.