A bill that would have let Key Biscayne and other towns write their own age restrictions on e-bikes and scooters is dead in the Florida Legislature, according to State Rep. Vicki Lopez.
“The Senate killed it,” Lopez said Tuesday, referring to the House version of a transportation Bill, HB 1049, that had won unanimous approval in the House. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn Friday.
The language was added to the bill in the wake of a fatal collision involving an e-bike Feb. 14 that took the life of Megan Andrews, a beloved local tutor.
“I’m frustrated, I’m disappointed. You know, I thought that this was a wonderful vehicle in which to be able to respond quickly to the tragedy, and try to help the Village of Key Biscayne,” Lopez said.
Lopez said other provisions of the bill, unrelated to the battery-powered devices, appeared responsible for the Senate’s reluctance to act.
The bill also called for changes in transportation planning organizations, agencies that help plan regional solutions regarding traffic and transportation. Lopez’s amendment on e-bikes and scooters was riding on the coattails of the larger bill.
Council Member Frank Caplan said he wanted to confirm the Legislation was dead for the Session before fully reacting, but said “I am pretty fed up with riding coattails at this point.”
He and other council members have frequently expressed exasperation with “pre-emption” provisions in many state laws that place limits on what local governments can enact for their communities.
In a statement, Mayor Joe Rasco expressed disappointment but said the Village will keep working on legislative changes at the state and County level. The current Village ban expires in April and would need to be extended.
The community has been divided on the issue, with some groups advocating the current ban be made permanent. Other groups are calling for relaxation of the rules. The Senate’s inaction may make a nuanced course more difficult, if not impossible.
State Sen.Joe Gruters, who was working on the Senate version of the Transportation bill, was not available for comment.
Lopez said she is ready to file a new bill in next year’s Legislative session.
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Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.