High-speed rail special session likely for December

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida Legislature is likely to convene in special session Dec. 3 to address commuter and high-speed rail issues.

Late this afternoon both Senate President Jeff Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul said the two chambers are close to a deal.

Lawmakers have discussed allowing South Florida counties to vote to add a surcharge to rental cars to pay for commuter rail. Shoring up funding for existing rail systems in South and Central Florida would give the state leverage to seek federal money for high-speed rail projects.

"I am optimistic that we are very close to having legislation that achieves this objective, while addressing the concerns raised by Senators regarding liability for freight and passenger rail and a dedicated, sustainable funding source for commuter rail," Atwater, a North Palm Beach Republican, said in a message to his membership.

Cretul, in his own message to House members,

"Constructive conversations in recent days have encouraged the hope that a special session on passenger rail may in fact occur," Cretul wrote. "While we have no agreement to do so, if President Atwater and I do convene a session, I expect that it would begin on Thursday, December 3, and end on or before Thursday, December 10."

At issue is finding a funding source for urban mass transit systems in SunRail and the Southeast Florida TriRail to leverage federal money for high-speed rail.

One potential funding source for Tri-Rail would be a county-specific $2 fee on car rentals.

Earlier this month, Gov. Charlie Crist said he favors requiring a local referendum or at least a super-majority of county commissions before imposing the fee.

Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos told Cabinet members that settling liability issues is the sticking point for SunRail, a 61-mile line from Tampa to Orlando. She said the state has had a "no-fault" insurance arrangement with CSX Corp. in Southeast Florida since 1988 and that the FDOT would like to work out the same arrangement for SunRail.

The transportation secretary said SunRail is "shovel ready" if the state gives the go-ahead. She said the federal government will look at city transit systems when deciding which states should get overland "bullet train" money.