OFF THE WIRE
Here is the Latest on International Driver Permits in Florida
NOTE: The Law Is Technically Still In Affect and Law Enforcement May Still Use It To Stop Motorcyclist In Daytona.
Repeal of international-driver law in high gear
By Jim Saunders
The News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Oh, Canada, come on down. And feel free to drive.
State lawmakers are speeding toward repealing a new law that says
international visitors need special permits to drive in Florida.
The law, which took effect Jan. 1, has caused a brouhaha, particularly
for Canadian snowbirds who pile into the Sunshine State each winter to
take a break from the cold.
"We want to make sure we send a clear message that our state is open for
business," said Rep. Daniel Davis, a Jacksonville Republican who is
shepherding a repeal bill through the House.
Committees in the House and Senate unanimously approved repeal measures
Thursday and pointed to an old Tallahassee bugaboo for the problem —
legislation that creates "unintended consequences."
The law called for foreign visitors to get what are known as
international driving permits before leaving their home countries. Those
permits would be in addition to regular driver's licenses and, so the
thinking went, would help Florida lawenforcement officers sort out
traffic incidents involving international visitors, especially those who
don't speak English.
But the change created confusion and bad public relations for the tourism-dependent state.
Rep. Ed Hooper, a Clearwater Republican, said his Pinellas County
district gets a huge influx of Canadian visitors in the winter.
"I think everyone has contacted my office to express their displeasure,"
Hooper said before the House Economic Affairs Committee voted Thursday
for its version of the repeal measure .
Beyond the effect on tourists driving into the state or lining up at
airport rental-car counters, the law also might violate an international
treaty called the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. Concerned about
the potential violation, the state Department of Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicles last month said the Florida Highway Patrol would not
enforce the international driving permit requirement.
Gov. Rick Scott, who has made reaching out to foreign trading partners a
big part of his effort to boost the economy, has also pushed for
marketing the state to foreign tourists, recommending an increase in
funding for VisitFlorida for such outreach.
"It made no sense," Scott said Thursday about the recent driver license requirement.
"Hopefully more Canadians will come here next year."
While the House committee and the Senate Transportation Committee
approved the repeals, two lawmakers asked questions about how police
officers would know whether driver's licenses from other countries are
valid.
Nevertheless, members of both chambers indicated they are prepared to repeal the law.
"The idea is trying to do it as quickly as possible," Davis said.
