Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) scored a major political victory for the Sunshine State’s cruise industry on Friday after taking on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — which he said effectively placed a vaccine passport mandate on the industry: the federal district court in Tampa ruled in favor of Florida’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction, concluding the CDC’s guidelines “are likely unconstitutional and overstepping their legal authority” and claiming a “startlingly magnified power.”
DeSantis’s office announced the political victory on Friday evening, relaying Judge Steven Merryday’s conclusion that the government agency’s restrictions are “likely unconstitutional and overstepping their legal authority.” Because of the administration’s lawsuits, ships will be able to set sail without being caught in the middle, attempting to walk the line between following government guidelines and breaking Florida’s law banning the use of vaccine passports, which goes into effect July 1.
