Parts of A1A in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties may soon be named after late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, after two bills were passed in the Florida Legislature.
A state Senate committee on Wednesday unanimously approved two bills to honor Buffett after watching a short video tribute to him.
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“Margaritaville is just what Florida is all about. Jimmy Buffett is the icon of Florida. No one represents the open sun, beaches, music more than Jimmy Buffett and Margaritaville,” said Republican state Sen. Gayle Harrell, who sponsored one of the bills.
State Road A1A, the historic scenic highway that winds about 340 miles (545 kilometers) along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, would become Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway under one bill.
The other bill would create a specialty license plate with the word “Margaritaville” — a Buffett song that has become a nickname for Key West.
Proceeds from license plate sales will go to a charity founded by Buffett, Singing for Change, and will benefit Florida nonprofits that help victims of hurricanes and other disasters, Harrell said.
Rep. Chuck Clemons filed HB-91 to rename S-A1A From Key West to Georgia “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway” in Oct. 2023.
Jimmy Buffett, whose sun-drenched songs celebrated life by the shore, died of a rare, aggressive skin cancer at 76.
Buffett had Merkel cell cancer, according to the statement, which was posted after initial news of his death emerged in Sept.
A pop-up tribute also appeared in the Florida Keys after Buffett’s passing.
Someone added cardboard letters to the sign at the Key West International Airport to make it read Key West Jimmy Buffett International Airport.
The letters were taken down about 15 minutes after they were discovered, but they sparked an idea.
Many locals now say they would like to see the airport permanently renamed in Buffett’s honor.
The 2024 Florida legislative session begins in January.