Bill cracking down on Cuba-travel agencies passes

Bill cracking down on Cuba-travel agencies passes
Posted on Thu, May. 01, 2008
BY LAURA FIGUEROA
lfigueroa@MiamiHerald.com

TALLAHASSEE --
With three days left in the legislative session, Rep. David Rivera, a
Miami Republican, was able to pass a controversial measure targeting
travel agencies specializing in trips to Cuba.

Florida-based travel agents selling trips to Cuba -- or any country on
the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist nations -- will have to
pay up to $2,500 in registration fees to the state and provide up to
$300,000 in bond money under Rivera's measure, which cleared both the
House and the Senate Wednesday night. The bill still must be approved by
Gov. Charlie Crist.

Rivera's bill, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Carey Baker, a Eustis
Republican, passed despite the protests of several Miami-based travel
agents who visited the Capitol to lambaste the measure as ''political
pandering.'' Several lawmakers questioned the need for state regulation
of the agencies, which are already monitored by the federal government.

''This bill has little to do with terrorism.... This will make it more
difficult and expensive for Cubans in my district to visit their
families, their loved ones, in Cuba,'' said Rep. Michael Scionti, a
Tampa Democrat.

Rivera has said the bill is necessary because the travel agencies are
``business partners with the Castro regime.''

''Ninety miles from the United States there's a country that harbors cop
killers, drug traffickers, and terrorists.... Do not support these
terrorists,'' Rivera told House members Wednesday night.

In 2006 Rivera was able to pass legislation banning the use of state
money to fund educational trips to Cuba. The measure is currently being
contested in the state Supreme Court.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/cuba/story/516498.html