OFF THE WIRE
By Lloyd Dunkelberger
LEDGER TALLAHASSEE BUREAU
TALLAHASSEE | With no debate, the Florida House on Tuesday moved to
repeal a law that created an international stir and threatened to
undermine a key component of the state's tourism industry.
The House is expected to vote today to reverse a 2012 law that required
Canadians and other foreign visitors in Florida to obtain an
international driving permit before they could operate a vehicle. The
Senate is scheduled to take up the bill Tuesday and send it to Gov. Rick
Scott for immediate approval.
The law took effect on Jan. 1 — at the height of Florida's winter
tourist season — and caught thousands of Canadian visitors by surprise,
forcing them to scramble to obtain the driving permits, which are only
issued in their country.
The impact on Canadians was particularly significant since they
represent the largest cohort of foreign tourists who come to Florida
each year.
As the controversy took hold, Florida law enforcement officials
announced they would not enforce the law, in part, because it appeared
to violate international treaties governing driving rights in foreign
countries.
Lawmakers said the legislation was originally passed to help Florida law
enforcement officers more easily determine whether a foreign visitor
had a valid driver license. But they have moved quickly in their annual
session to repeal it after realizing the potential negative impact on
foreign visitors and tourism in the state.
"From time to time, we will pass legislation and find out there were
some unintended consequences," House Transportation and Highway Safety
Chairman Daniel Davis, R-Jacksonville, told the House.
He said the quick passage of the repeal would send a message to the
Canadians and other tourists "that our state is open for business and we
want to make sure we let them know we will roll out the red carpet."
After the House gave preliminary approval to the bill (HB 7059), Rep.
Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, who had formally apologized to Canadian
officials for the passage of the 2012 law, said he felt "relieved" that
lawmakers were moving to correct the problem.
"And I hope the folks in Canada feel relieved," Albritton said.
Meanwhile, the Senate has sent its version of the repeal bill (SB 1766)
to the Community Affairs Committee, which has scheduled a Thursday
hearing on the legislation.
Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said his chamber will take up the bill next week "without a lot of delay."
"We certainly plan to take care of that issue," Gaetz said. "I think
that falls under the general category of unintended consequences. And we
certainly don't want to discourage our Canadian visitors. I come from
Northwest Florida and we have a lot of Canadians who come down to our
beaches and we want them to keep coming."
Ironically, the House's final vote on the bill will come on "Tourism Day" at the state Capitol.
Lawmakers say it was never their intention to create any barriers for Canadians or any other foreign tourists.
With the repeal of the 2012 law, Canadians and other foreign visitors
will be able to drive on Florida's roadways if they have a valid driver
license from their home countries.
