A recent Florida Senate Transportation Committee hearing on a bill that would reverse the cruise ship limits approved by Key West voters in November indicated that despite a maritime expertâs testimony that the courts are the best place to dispute any challenges to the referenda, state legislators are seriously considering removing home rule in all state seaports.
If that happens, and the identical bill in the state House of Representatives is also approved, the three cruise ship-limiting referenda in Key West would be reversed, giving control over local cruise ship visits to an as-of-yet unnamed state agency.
The Transportation Committee hearing on Feb. 6 included testimony from Capt. Alan Richard, an attorney and maritime law expert. Under questioning by Committee Chair Sen. Gayle Harrell on which state or federal agency has jurisdiction over any seaport regulation challenges, Richard said the matter belonged in state or federal court, where a judge would weigh the potential