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Central Florida's two-year fight to roll its commuter-rail plans through Tallahassee may be almost over. Two weeks ago, Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater and other legislators went to Washington to hear that Florida must jump-start the $1.2billion, 61-mile SunRail project and help out South Florida's Tri-Rail if it hopes to land $2.5billion in federal funding for a high-speed train between Tampa and Orlando.

Atwater promptly called for a special session in December to approve the rail plans to avoid risking a loss of the federal rail dollars.

But the most significant man in the room was Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, who helped derail SunRail in the Senate the last two years — and is now reconsidering.

With so many jobs promised by the combined projects, he said, "it's a tremendous opportunity for us, and one we can't afford to lose."

The allure of more jobs and federal cash is also giving other opponents pause.

"A lot of things have changed since last session," said Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO, a vocal opponent of SunRail over contractual language with CSX Corp. and local governments that might have threatened union jobs. "What we're doing is looking carefully at all the different developments ...," Templin said. "We're just being very, very deliberate. It's turned into a huge political issue for Florida."

On another front, newly elected Sen. John Thrasher was a lobbyist for Orlando and other backers pushing SunRail last spring. The late Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, whom Thrasher replaced, was a no vote.

Lastly, rail backers led by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer are looking to two other no votes — Sens. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, and Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres — who are running for attorney general and will need Central Florida votes.

"I think they're finding a chilly reception in Central Florida over their lack of support," said Fred Leonhardt, a GrayRobinson lawyer and lobbyist for Orlando. "The dynamics have changed."

Said Gelber, "The prospect of the funding changes the deal for me .... It becomes a much better deal."

Senate Transportation Chairman Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said he and others were working on another rail bill intended to make it easier for Jacksonville and Tampa to eventually launch their own commuter-rail systems without the obstacles SunRail has encountered.

"This should be a statewide rail approach," Gardiner said.

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